Lyrics of the heart Jelsa song based prompts
by WickedgreenPhantom
Summary: A series of Jelsa one-shots based off of prompts from song lyrics. Cover image created for me by KayleighGaga on Tumblr.
1. Chapter 2- Demons

**Demons**

"_Don't get too close_

_It's dark inside_

_It's where my demons hide"_

_~Imagine Dragons, Demons~ _

Jack glared down at his glass. The whisky he'd consumed was doing nothing to calm his mind or alter his mood. Angrily he threw the glass at the wall, cursing loudly as he watched the remains of the whisky drip down the paintwork. He knew that he should get up to clean it, preferably before Elsa, Anna and Kristoff returned home, but he couldn't be bothered moving. Instead he leaned back against the wall and lit a cigarette, his eyes fixed on the shattered glass.

He hadn't always been this moody or angst-ridden. There used to be a time when he was fun, happy and full of life. At just twenty-one he seemed to have had it all; a gorgeous girlfriend, great family and friends and he was in his last year of university studying to become a Graphic Designer. However, it seemed that his happiness was to be short-lived when the events of one night forever changed his life and the lives of those nearest and dearest to him.

It had been a warm summer's night when Jack had gone to see his best friend, Jamie, who was in need of a friendly ear after he'd caught his girlfriend of a year cheating on him. Arriving at the Bennett home, Jack had decided that the only suitable solution to Jamie's mood was pizza and a night of Call of Duty.

The friends had been on their way to collect their dinner when it happened. The traffic light had turned green and Jack had pulled back onto the road, heading towards the pizza parlour. Jamie had had his head down sending a text when the speeding car had come from the opposite direction and plowed into Jack's car.

The car had struck them on the passenger side where Jamie had been directly in its path.

Jack had felt his head being jerked back when the airbag opened, but he was lucky enough to remain conscious. Looking to his right, he'd seen Jamie lying unconscious with a small trail of blood pouring from a gash on his head. Closing his eyes, Jack had willed it to be a bad dream. Unfortunately when he'd opened his eyes he realised that it wasn't a dream.

Within minutes police and an ambulance had arrived on the scene. They bundled Jack into the ambulance. He'd tried arguing with the paramedics, telling them that he was fine and wanted to wait with Jamie, but they'd refused and had told him that he needed to be seen by a doctor. The last thing Jack had seen before the ambulance doors had closed were the emergency personnel cordoning off the area and diverting traffic, while waiting for the machinery known as the 'Jaws of life' to arrive so they could retrieve Jamie from the car.

During the drive to the hospital, the paramedics had taken Jack's emergency contact details and had called Elsa, alerting her to the situation. She'd been seated in the waiting room with Anna by her side when the ambulance had pulled up with Jack on board and had been visibly upset seeing Jack wheeled past her.

Jack had been rushed through a series of check ups, x-rays and tests and was diagnosed with a mild case of whiplash. He was ordered to spend the night in hospital for observation. He'd argued with the doctors, claiming that he was fine and simply needed to know how Jamie was, but they had been firm in their decision. He'd been left with no choice but to agree to a night in an empty ward.

Elsa had cried and hadn't wanted to leave Jack. She'd been determined to spend the night by his bedside, curled up on the stiff hospital chair, but Anna had stepped in, telling her that she and Jack would both need a good night's sleep. He'd then watched as she was led tearfully from his room.

Jack had spent a restless night in the hospital. He'd been consumed with concern for Jamie and for Elsa who he knew would be worried sick. Sleep eluded him. He'd spent the majority of the night trying to get answers about Jamie's condition from any doctor or nurse that passed by his room,and growing frustrated with the lack of information he was being given. By the time Elsa burst in to collect him the next day he'd managed to get only two hours of sleep and had resigned himself to surviving on a diet of strong coffee.

After being signed out, Jack and Elsa had made their way to reception to enquire about Jamie. The receptionist pointed them in the direction of the ward where Jamie was. Thanking the woman, they'd then proceeded to make their way to the ward. There they had found Jamie's mum sitting with his sister Sophie. Taking a seat opposite the pair, they had sat dumbfounded as Mrs Bennett tearfully informed them that Jamie was in surgery, having suffered a spinal cord injury from the impact, and would need a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

The news that his friend had gone from being able to walk to being reliant on a wheelchair in less than 24 hours had hit Jack like a tonne of bricks. He'd felt the grief consume him as the guilt began to set in.

Jamie had come out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Jack couldn't help but blame himself. A small part of him knew that he shouldn't feel like this, and Jamie, Mrs Bennett and Elsa had all stated that he wasn't at fault, but it didn't help. His best friend, the guy he'd grown up with, was stuck in a chair for life and it was all thanks to Jack. It was singlehandedly the worst thing he'd ever done to his mate, far more serious than the previous pain he'd caused him.

The last major injury Jack had caused Jamie had been 13 years ago when they were kids. Jack had pushed him down a steep hill on a sled, only to have Jamie to crash into a tree, resulting in a wobbly tooth being knocked out. Back then it had been resolved with Jamie leaving the tooth for the tooth fairy and being given a dollar for his effort.

Now, thanks to him, the Bennett house had to undergo expensive changes to accommodate Jamie and his new chair. The expense of the home modifications had taken their toll on the Bennett's finances and had meant that they'd had to give up on the overseas holiday they had been planning. Also Jamie had been forced to delay his last year of studies in order to focus on his rehabilitation and learning to live in a chair.

The Bennett family kept up the air of positivity, but Jack knew that behind closed doors they still shed a tear.

* * *

Elsa sighed as she dug in her messenger bag for her house keys. The toll of the week of studying had finally gotten to her and she was hoping for a relaxing weekend.

Pushing open the door she stepped inside, her eyes taking a moment to acclimatise to the change in light. Blinking, she reached her hand out and flicked the switch, bringing light to the lounge room.

"Jack?" she called, dropping her bag on the couch.

When no response came, she headed upstairs, wondering if Jack had taken a nap. He'd been sleeping more often in the months following the accident and it wasn't unusual to come home and find him asleep. She peered into their bedroom, but he wasn't there. She tried to ignore the familiar worry that crept up, and to come up with reasons for his absence. It was possible that he'd gone for a short walk and had simply forgotten to send her a text to let her know of his whereabouts. Frowning, she turned to head downstairs, deciding that she'd check the kitchen in case Jack had left a note.

Stepping into the darkened kitchen she flicked the light switch, and felt her breath get caught in her throat as she took in the sight that greeted her.

Lying, slumped against a wall, was Jack. By his side lay an empty bottle of whiskey, one she remembered having been more than half full when she'd left for uni that morning. Her eyes glanced at the wall opposite Jack, noticing the whisky stain that was drying on it, and the shattered glass lying below it, leading her to believe it had been thrown with some force. Ignoring the mess, she ran to her boyfriend's side. The mess she would clean up later, but right now her priority was Jack.

"Jack, wake up," she ordered.

When he didn't stir she got up and moved to the sink, filling a cup with water before returning to Jack and tipping the cold liquid over his head.

Jack gasped as he jolted awake. "Elsa, what the hell?" he barked.

"I could ask you the same thing," Elsa snapped. " I come home, call for you and get no response. I check our room, only you're not there. You didn't send a text so I come in here thinking maybe you've gone out and left a note, only to find you passed out with an empty bottle of whisky and a broken glass."

"I needed a drink," Jack argued. "Now you've found me. I'm all good. Can you turn off the light? It's too bright in here"

"No," Elsa said defiantly, crossing her arms across her chest.

Jack grumbled and slowly got to his feet, suddenly regretting his decision to drink so much.

"Fine, I'm going to bed," he stated.

"Don't think this is over," Elsa warned, grabbing the dustpan and broom as she went to work cleaning up the broken glass. "We're going to talk some more when you're not drunk."

Thud.

Elsa looked up. Jack, in his drunken state had managed 3 steps before tripping over his feet. Sighing she rushed to his side, sliding one of his arms over her shoulder and carefully guiding him up the stairs to their room.

Dropping Jack on the bed, she slowly began to peel his clothes off, taking in the new stains that would require soaking to remove.

Chuckling, Jack looked at her. "Oh, Elsie, can't keep your hands off me," he smirked, attempting to grab at the waist of her jeans.

Elsa swatted his hand away and glared at him. "Hands off, Jackson. Let me get your pyjamas on you. I'm going to need to soak these clothes as soon as possible, unless you want them to be stained forever."

Elsa groaned, watching as Jack lay back on the bed and fell asleep whilst she struggled to change him out of his dirty clothes. She wanted to be mad at him for causing her to worry yet again, and for putting himself at risk of injury. However, she couldn't be mad at him, not when he was most in need of love and support.

Sighing, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before scooping up the stained clothes and making her way downstairs. She figured that she may as well get the laundry soaking whilst she dealt with cleaning up the mess he'd made in the kitchen. With any luck she could have the kitchen back to normal before her sister returned home with her own boyfriend.

"Thank god it's Friday! Am I right, or am I right?!" shouted Anna, dropping her backpack on the couch.

Kristoff walked in a bit slower and headed straight for the backdoor where his chocolate brown Labrador, Sven, was waiting for him.

"Where's Jack?" Anna asked.

"In bed asleep. He was passed out against the kitchen wall when I came home. Scared me half to death when he didn't answer," Elsa explained, sighing. "He smashed a glass against the wall and downed the rest of the bottle of whisky we got last week."

Anna nodded and moved to wrap her arms around Elsa, gently leading her to the couch. They sat in silence for a while with Elsa's head resting on her sister's shoulder, and waited.

It didn't take long for the wall to crumble and for Elsa to start sobbing. She tried so hard to hold back her emotions, to be strong for Jack, for everyone, but she was still human. Sometimes she needed to just let go. Out of the corner of her eye she spied Kristoff as he quietly entered the room with two cups of hot cocoa and a block of chocolate in his hands. He gently placed the drinks on the coffee table before turning to leave the room, nodding at Anna.

"You've trained him well," Elsa sniffled, reaching for the chocolate.

"Oh believe me, it's been a challenge," laughed Anna. "Now, onto Jack. What's going on there?"

Elsa sighed. "I don't know. It's like I can't get through to him at times- no one can. You've seen it. He has these moments where he's his normal, happy self, but then his mood changes. He continues to blame himself for Jamie's situation even though it wasn't his fault. He did nothing wrong," she began. "The Bennett's are worried about him. Jamie's hardly heard from him. He's spending his days cooped up in the house, often not bothering to change out of his pyjamas. He's either sleeping all day, drinking, chain smoking, playing video games or just watching movies. He hardly leaves the house anymore. He says it's because his car was written off and he doesn't want to take public transport or walk."

Elsa paused, taking a sip of her drink, before continuing. "I just don't know how to reach him. I've tried suggesting seeing a counsellor, or going to see a doctor, but he refuses. He says he has to live with the consequences."

"Have you spoken to his mum?" Anna asked, gently placing her hand on Elsa's arm.

Elsa nodded. "I speak to Caroline on a weekly basis. She's at a loss, too. She's told me that she tries to visit during the day when I'm at uni, but Jack just blows her off. He says he's 'fine', and not to worry." She stopped and dabbed her eyes with the corner of her sleeve. "We all know that's not true, though."

Anna snapped her head up, an idea forming in her head. "What about an intervention?" she suggested, "I mean, you're worried, Mrs Frost is worried, I'm worried, The Bennetts are worried, and Kristoff tells me that Hiccup, Flynn and the rest of the guys on Jack's hockey team are worried, too. Maybe if we can at least get a few people together, Jack would take notice."

Elsa gazed at Anna while pondering the suggestion. "That could work. I'll talk to his mum. I'm due to have lunch with her tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can get Jack to go with me."

Kristoff came into the room and sat down next to Anna on the couch. He remained silent for a moment, then spoke.

"Guys, what do you want to do for dinner? We were meant to do a grocery shop tonight as the pantry's pretty bare, but I somehow don't think it's the right time for that. I say we order in pizza, my treat," he offered.

Elsa nodded. "Sounds good to me, I can't be bothered to shop or cook. We can go shopping in the morning before I go to lunch with Caroline." Standing up, she moved toward the stairs. "I'm going to check on Jack and take a shower. Anna you know my likes in terms of pizza and Jack, if he comes down, will eat anything."

She walked into the room and found Jack fast asleep. He looked so innocent when he slept, his silver-white hair sticking up all over the place. Leaning down, Elsa placed a kiss on his head. Her heart broke to see him like this. She knew he was depressed. She just wished she could help him more.

Twenty minutes and one relaxing shower later, she was curled up on the couch with Anna and Kristoff. The pizza's and garlic bread had been placed on the coffee table. Kristoff had decided that he was in charge of entertainment for the night and had opted to put on a selection of his favourite comedies, hoping that it would help cheer them all up.

* * *

Jack woke the next morning feeling grateful for the lack of hangover. He glanced over to where Elsa lay fast asleep and snoring lightly. Smiling, he leaned over to gently brush aside her platinum blonde hair which allowed him a better look at her angelic face. He knew he was lucky to have her in his life. Not many girls would stick by a guy under the present circumstances, but then again, Elsa was not like other girls.

He felt Elsa stir under his touch. "Morning," he whispered.

Elsa's eyes flicked open. "Hi," she replied, her blue eyes looking into his. "How's your head?"

"Surprisingly, not that bad, although, I am starving," he laughed, a grin forming on his face before returning to a frown. "I'm sorry, El", he said, sitting up.

"I know you are," Elsa sighed, sitting up to give him a kiss.

He watched as she climbed out of bed and stalked over to their wardrobe. Flinging the door open, she pulled out a dress before grabbing a pair of his jeans and t-shirt and turning to toss them at him.

"Go have a shower. We have to go do a grocery shop before going out to lunch with your mum," she ordered.

Jack groaned. "Babe, I can't do lunch. I'm just going to stay home. You know what I like. You don't need me to go shopping with you," he reasoned.

Elsa shot him a look. "Jackson Overland Frost, this is NOT negotiable. You are coming out with me today whether you want to or not," she stated.

Jack sighed. He knew better than to push his luck, especially with the trouble he'd caused her last night.

An hour later Jack was in the car with Elsa, Anna and Kristoff as they hurtled towards the supermarket.

Kristoff spoke first. "So, Jack, good to see you back in the land of the living," he joked, earning a playful slap from Anna.

Jack laughed. "Yeah, Elsa said that if I'm a good boy today she'll give me a special reward tonight," he grinned, looking over to watch the blush rise in his girlfriends cheeks.

"Jack!" Elsa screeched. "I most certainly did not. Be thankful I'm driving or else you'd be getting a smack too."

Jack smirked, unable to resist playfully teasing her. "Save it for tonight, babe. You know I like it when you play rough."

"Anna, can you please reach around and give my boyfriend a slap?" Elsa joked, shaking her head.

He shuffled around the supermarket, happily selecting items to go in their trolley. His eyes widened as they passed the condom aisle. A cheeky thought entered his mind. Reaching out, he saw the largest box available and tossed a few of them into the trolley before stopping to wink at Kristoff.

"She's got it bad," he explained, chuckling as Elsa's face turned a deep shade of red.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. After dropping their groceries home, they'd gone for lunch with his mum. She had been overjoyed to see him and had placed plenty of kisses on his forehead. He'd even managed to sit with a smile on his face while his mum and Elsa joined forces, claiming he needed to speak to someone. Adamantly, he denied them, stating that it was just the circle of life. Not every day was shit. After all, today had turned out to be somewhat decent and he'd felt like his normal self.

Climbing into bed, he let out a loud yawn. He felt the bed move as Elsa shuffled in next to him.

"You know we all love you. We're worried for you," she murmured, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you so much, it breaks my heart to see you in pain."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her. "I know, and days like this I feel somewhat normal, but then something changes and it all goes to shit again."

He could feel Elsa shift as she pulled back to look at him. "I know and that's why you're going to the doctor's on Monday morning," she declared.

"W-what, I don't need to go see a doctor," he stammered.

Elsa cut him off, her voice firm. "Yes, you do. Your mum has made the appointment for 10am Monday with Dr. Roberts. You've got the choice of going with me, or your mum." She shifted position, climbing over so she was lying on top of him. "Of course you don't _have _to go, but there will be some benefits if you do," she winked, bending down to kiss him on the lips before settling back on her side and smiling.

Jack groaned. Silently he cursed his girlfriend for knowing how to push his buttons. "If I go, then can we, will you…"

Elsa leaned in. "If you go, I will do anything you ask of me afterwards," she whispered, pausing to nip at his earlobe.

"You know, don't take this the wrong way, but sometimes I really lote you," he smirked, his hands running through her hair.

"Lote?" Elsa queried, furrowing her brows. "What the hell does lote mean?"

"It's a new word I've created, a combination of love and hate," Jack retorted. "Perfect for situations like this,"

Elsa laughed. "Go to sleep. You're going to need to be well rested for Monday."

* * *

Jack woke early on Monday, ignoring the nerves that were plaguing him.

The drive to the surgery was somewhat silent. Elsa had switched the radio on while she hummed along to the song that played. To his relief, she'd not pressed him to talk. At most, she had reached over to give his hand a reassuring squeeze from time to time. He'd spent most of the ride staring out the window, trying to psyche himself up for the impending appointment.

The wait in the doctor's waiting room had been agonisingly long. Jack had scrolled through Facebook on his iPhone while Elsa thumbed through an old gossip magazine. They both ignored the sound of the clock as it ticked, loudly counting down the time. From time to time the peace would be interrupted as a patient entered, or exited the waiting room.

Finally, Jack's name was called. Gulping, he stood up. He briefly toyed with the idea of making a run for it. He'd stood frozen on the spot for a split second before Elsa had reached down to grip his hand, interlocking their fingers and giving him a warm smile. Swallowing his pride, he'd allowed himself to move and had followed the doctor as he led them to his room.

Dr. Roberts cleared his throat. "So, Jack, it has been a while since I've seen you. The last time was the check up following your accident. How have things been for you since then?" he asked.

Jack gulped, turning to look at Elsa who gave him a reassuring nod. "It's been... I can't... I'm a mess," he stammered.

The doctor looked at him over his glasses and nodded. "How so?" he pressed.

"It's like, I have these moments where I feel normal, but most of the time it's as if something is overshadowing me. I can't be happy because my best friend is in a wheelchair because of me," Jack began, feeling the emotions build up. "The logical side of me knows that it wasn't my fault. I wasn't to blame for the accident, but for some reason, I can't listen to that logic."

Jack felt Elsa apply a soft squeeze to his hand. Turning, he looked at her and noted the faint traces of tears in her blue eyes.

"Go on," Dr Roberts urged.

Jack sighed. "It's changed everything. I've not been able to return to my studies. I feel guilty for feeling happy. I feel selfish for being like this and I know that I really have no reason to be like it. I mean, Jamie's in a much worse situation, and yet I'm carrying on like I am. I feel horrible. It pains me to know that I'm putting so much strain on Elsa, but it's hard to explain. I can feel happy some days, and then it changes and I'm back to feeling like shit."

Dr. Roberts leaned forward in his chair, making a few notes on the computer. "Sounds like it's been quite a challenge. What have you been doing with your spare time since you're not studying?" he asked, softly.

"Not much. My days have been filled with either sleeping, drinking, smoking too much, playing video games, or watching movies." Jack admitted, "A few times I've tried to do stuff around the house so that I can at least feel helpful, but that don't happen often. I'm lucky I've not been chucked out on my ass to be honest."

A small chuckle escaped Dr. Roberts lips. "Sounds like you've got a pretty good woman here," he said, gesturing to Elsa.

Jack smiled. "She's the best. I really don't know what I've done to deserve her, but she's the only one who keeps me going," he replied. "We've been together for 5 years now and for some reason she still wants to be with me."

Elsa looked up, her eyes focused on Jack. "That's because I love you, all of you," she smiled, wiping back a tear.

"So, Elsa, how have things been with Jack? What can you tell me?" Dr Roberts asked, his gaze shifting between the young couple.

"Well, pretty much what Jack's told you. He's not left the house much and has shut out most of his friends and even his mum and me at times. He's started smoking and drinking more, which has been hard to watch. It's not easy to watch someone you love hurting," she admitted, tears falling from her eyes. "I've tried to be there for him the best that I can, but I feel so helpless, and it hurts, because I love him so much."

Jack reached over, feeling the need to wrap his girlfriend in his arms and to wipe her tears away. Taking a deep breath, he spoke up. "I need help. I know that. I don't want to continue feeling like this. I don't want to be the reason my girlfriend cries. I want to go back to feeling like my life is going somewhere, not just in a vicious circle."

"Well, what you've done today, coming here, admitting all of this, is the first step in making some positive progress," Dr. Roberts began. "Depression can strike people at different points in their lives. It can be scary, but it is something that can be dealt with and managed. I'm going to give you a script for anti-depressants which I want you to take daily. I also want you to come back to see me in a month for an update,"

He reached over, handing Jack a script for anti-depressants. "I also urge you not to suddenly stop taking the tablets. It's important that you take these tablets daily. I've seen a lot of patients who have a day or two where they feel better so they figure they can stop taking the tablets. It doesn't work that way I'm afraid. You still need to take the tablets daily."

Jack stood up, helping Elsa to her feet before leading her to the door. He paused briefly to look back at the Dr and give him a nod. He realised that he was far from cured, but he had taken the first step in the right direction.

* * *

The following weeks proved to be a time of progress for the couple. Elsa was always watching and ready to remind Jack to take his tablets. She'd also started to drag him out the house for a daily walk around the neighbourhood before leaving for university.

Jack cut back on the vices he'd been relying on. Gone were the cigarettes, the late nights, and the alcohol. He channelled his energy into completing small tasks each day. He'd even started to call in to see his mother where he could help her with various jobs around her house before returning home.

Perhaps the biggest step forward came when Jack and Elsa paid a visit to the Bennett's one afternoon. They'd been heading home after seeing a movie when Jack had decided he wanted to go see Jamie. Elsa had been only too happy to oblige and had turned the car around to steer them in the direction of the Bennett home.

Jamie had been happy to see Jack and had filled him in on the progress he was making. His rehabilitation had been going well and he was starting to adapt to life in a wheelchair. He had even taken Jack out to show him the special adaptations to his car that enabled him to drive. The two friends had then made their way out to the backyard where they'd shot hoops and exchanged friendly insults like old times.

Elsa had remained indoors, helping Mrs Bennett and Sophie bake a cake. She stopped periodically to peer out through the window, smiling at the sight of her boyfriend and his best friend clowning around like old times. It was a sure sign that things were going to be okay.


	2. Chapter 3- Just Give Me A Reason

**Just Give Me A Reason**

"_Right from the start _

_You were a thief_

_You stole my heart _

_And I, your willing victim_

_I let you see the parts of me_

_That weren't pretty_

_And with every touch you fixed them"_

_Pink~ Just Give Me A Reason_

Elsa sighed and deleted yet another paragraph of writing from the publishing program on her computer. She could never have anticipated that it would be this hard to write her vows. The wedding planner had told her that the trick was to think about what Jack meant to her and let that guide her. On the surface it had sounded simple, hence why she had put it off until the day before her wedding.

The reality, however, was proving to be harder than anticipated and she was left cursing her lack of preparation. She couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed of herself. After all, she'd spent the last five years of her life with Jack. Therefore, she reasoned, it should be easy for her to come up with her vows.

The vows were meant to be her chance to tell her and Jack's loved ones exactly what Jack meant to her. It was her chance to go over everything he made her feel and to express all the emotions he evoked from her before declaring her undying love for him. It was easy for her to think about what he meant to her, she just couldn't put those words onto paper without running the risk of sounding like a babbling mess.

Getting to her feet, she stretched her arms out in front of her and sighed. She was in desperate need of a break. The words weren't coming to her and she'd spent far too long cooped up in her childhood bedroom while staring at the bright computer screen. To continue to try and force them would run the risk of her coming up with something that sounded sloppy and she didn't want that. She owed it to Jack to make her vows as important and as perfect as he was. Sighing, she let herself out of her room and headed towards the one room that she knew would leave her feeling relaxed.

Silently she slipped inside the music room, closing the door behind her before she took her seat at the grand piano. Growing up, music had always been her greatest passion. She had taken lessons from a young age and had soon discovered that she had a natural talent for the instrument. As she'd gotten older she'd often found herself turning to the piano when the stress of life got her down. Somehow just a few minutes of playing could relieve her of all tension.

"Hello, old friend," she murmured. "You've never failed me in the past. Lets see if you can help me now."

Sitting up straight, Elsa let her fingers do the talking as they glided over the ivory keys. She lost herself in the moment as the familiar sound of 'Memory' from the musical 'Cats' came from the piano. The piece had been one of the first that she'd perfected as a child and she always found herself playing it when she sat down at the piano. She felt herself getting lost in her thoughts as her fingers pressed down and sounded out the last of the notes.

Memories of times spent around the piano with Jack came rushing back to her. She thought about how he loved to sneak up behind her and try to distract her by planting kisses along her neck. Then there were the times he'd just sit by her side and gaze lovingly at her as she lost herself in the music. There were many times when he'd felt inspired to learn to play and had asked Elsa to teach him. Of course, she had accepted and had tried to pass on her knowledge only to find that Jack lacked the patience and skills needed to succeed. He'd always let his frustration get the better of him when he misread a note or hit the wrong key and would get up from the stool leaving it vacant for Elsa to step in and show him how it was meant to sound.

That's not to say that Jack wasn't musical. Like Elsa, he shared a love of music and had a wide knowledge of musical artists. He just didn't have the patience needed to learn to play an instrument. Not that she minded, she loved Jack for so many reasons. Musical talent, or lack thereof, was not one of those reasons.

"Let me guess. You're stuck on your vows," a soft voice came from the doorway.

Turning her head, Elsa saw her mother leaning against the doorframe with a warm smile on her delicate face.

"You know me too well," Elsa confessed. "It's not as easy as I thought it would be."

The older Andersen woman smiled and entered the room to place a kiss on her eldest daughter's head. "I'm your mother. It's my job to know you," she said.

Elsa watched as her mother took a seat on a nearby stool before directing her attention back to the piano. Taking a deep breath, she let her fingers trail the keys once again. The sound of a familiar Pink song came from the piano as she played.

"Ooh, I like this song," her mother interrupted. "Anna was obsessed with it a few months ago. It's got such a nice sound to it."

Elsa nodded. "Just Give Me A Reason. I remember Jack singing this song in my ear at her last concert. He sung it off key and blamed his bad singing on the beer he'd had earlier," she chuckled.

Suddenly her eyes widened as a thought ran through her head. Speaking softly, she repeated the lyrics of the song. The opening verse in particular reminded her of how Jack had approached her in her first semester at university. She hadn't been looking for love at that point, but Jack had been persistent and had somehow managed to convince her to hand over her phone number and to go on a date with him. She had turned up for the date with no expectation, other than to share a meal and a chat. However, Jack had managed to charm her and she'd ended the date knowing that he was someone who she wanted to spend more time with.

From thereon in they had been inseparable. Their relationship had only grown stronger as they supported each other through university providing comfort and a pep talk when the stress of their courses got to be too much. They had been there to celebrate each others graduation and had somehow managed to stand tall through copious interviews until they had manage to land their first graduate jobs. No matter what life had thrown their way over the last five years, they had faced it together. Jack was her rock andthe best thing she had ever done was agree to go on that very first date.

Standing up, Elsa headed for the doorway. "Sorry, Mum. I've got to go. I'll explain later," she called, before running from the room.

Racing up the stairs, she burst into her room. Taking her seat at her desk, she pulled open her laptop and booted it up. She waited patiently for it to load before clicking to open the internet browser and typing in to find the lyrics to the Pink song 'Just Give Me A Reason.'

Less than ninety minutes later and with a quick edit she was ready.

* * *

The next day Elsa stood at the front of the church with her eyes locked on Jack.

She had barely managed to hold back the tears when he'd presented his vows to her. As always, Jack made it look so easy. His eyes had remained fixed on hers as he told her she was his world and he'd forever cherish her and seek to give her everything he felt she deserved.

She could feel the eyes of their friends and family as they watched her, waiting to hear her vows, but she didn't care. The only person who mattered was the handsome young man standing across from her.

Taking a deep breath, she began.

"I'm not going to lie. I had a lot of trouble writing my vows. Hell, I think I wrote and re-wrote it at least fifty times before I came upon something I liked. You see, they said to me to write down everything you mean to me, everything you represent and all that I want for you and for the rest of our lives together. The trouble is, if I were to list all that you mean to me and what I want for you then we'd be here for hours," she paused, watching as Jack gave her an encouraging smile.

"The simple fact is, that I can not properly convey all my emotions without sounding like a blubbering mess. So, I did what I always do. I turned to music and as always, it helped me. It got me thinking and reminiscing over the memories we have shared over the last five years and I finally found some lyrics which I believe truly convey our relationship," she continued.

She paused long enough to put the small cue card where she had written the lyrics down. Opening her mouth she recited the lyrics, watching as a small tear formed in the corner of Jack's eye.

"_Right from the start _

_You were a thief_

_You stole my heart _

_And I, your willing victim_

_I let you see the parts of me_

_That weren't pretty_

_And with every touch you fixed them._

"Jack, I wasn't looking for, or expecting to find love the day that you came and decided I was lonely in the university cafeteria. I had no idea that by accepting to go out on a date with you that we'd be standing here five years later saying our vows. Over the years, you've been there for me. You've stood by my side, and helped me to see beauty in the parts of me which I find ugly. My entire life music has played a part in helping me cope with my emotions or the various challenges I've faced. When you walked into my life, you became another key in helping me deal with things. You became the lyrics to my life and I can't imagine anything better than being here today and becoming your wife," she finished.

Letting out a soft exhale, she watched as Jack mouthed 'I love you' to her.

The ceremony continued and rings were exchanged before they reached the moment that everyone was waiting for.

"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the Priest stated.

Elsa blushed and stepped forward to press a soft kiss on her husband's lips.


	3. Chapter 5- Borrowed Angels

**Borrowed Angels**

"_There must be Borrowed Angels, here in this life _

_They come along, into this world, and make this world bright _

_But they can't stay forever _

_Cause they're heaven sent _

_And sometimes, heaven needs them back again"_

_~"Borrowed Angels" Kristin Chenoweth~_

Irony, that's what it was, that such a gorgeous day weather wise could befall such a sombre event.

Jack floated down to enter Elsa's bedchamber through the open window. The room was devoid of life, with only the winter spirit and Elsa's possessions left in it. He took a seat on the bed and picked up a pillow, hugging it to his chest. Leaning closer, he took a breath. Her scent still lingered on the pillow, a sweet, intoxicating aroma that reminded him of her and the memories they had shared together in this very room. He'd never loved anyone until she'd come into his life and he was certain that his feelings for her could never be replaced.

The sound of the door creaking open shook him from his thoughts. Hastily he sniffed back a tear just in time to see Olaf, the living snowman, enter the room.

"Jack, you're here. It's a sad day today. Do you need a warm hug?" he asked, his twig arms reaching out in a gesture of kindness.

"I prefer cool hugs, Olaf, but sure thing. You can give me a hug," Jack grinned, leaning down to hug the snowman.

"Sad day today. She was a good lady. Very sweet. I loved her. I wish she'd never gotten sick and that she was still here to play with us," the snowman remarked, placing himself next to Jack on the bed. " Did you know that Agnes and Kristoffer are allowed to eat chocolate for breakfast today?"

Jack chuckled and got to his feet. "Well, you know Anna, she's never let an opportunity for chocolate consumption go wasted."

"Care to lead me to the others, Olaf?" he asked, extending his arm to help the snowman to his feet.

"Sure, come on, the gang is this way," Olaf said, rushing out the door.

Jack scurried after Olaf, following him through the halls of the castle until they reached the kitchen where Kristoff was arguing with his 9-year-old daughter.

"I said no more chocolate," he grunted, a look of exasperation on his face as he struggled to hold a tray of chocolates away from the determined Agnes.

"But Mama said!" she whined, stretching upwards, a look of determination on her small face.

"Kristoff, surely you've learnt by now to not stand in the way of a woman and her chocolate," Jack smirked, taking the tray and handing it to the small blonde girl.

"Jack, argh, you flippin' traitor, whose side are you on?" grumbled Kristoff

"Hey, unlike you, Mr. Ice Master and Deliverer, I've learned that when a woman in this family tells you to do something, you damn well do it," Jack scoffed, stealing a chocolate from the tray.

"Oh shut it, Frosty," groaned Kristoff, shooting a dirty look in Jack's direction.

"Hey, guys, I don't want to break this up, but it's time to go," interrupted Olaf, a look of amusement on his face as he watched Kristoff shoot yet another glare at Jack.

Jack rose to his feet, stopping to glance at his reflection in a nearby mirror. His normally messy silver-white hair had been neatly brushed and his regular blue hoodie and brown trousers had been replaced with a smart grey suit. Perhaps the most surprising feature was the addition of smart black boots on his normally bare feet. Jack hated wearing shoes, absolutely loathed them in fact, but he knew that this is what she'd have wanted and today, he wanted to honour her.

"You look good, Uncle Jack. She'd have been proud of you," the quiet voice of 12-year-old Kristoffer broke Jack from his thoughts.

Jack turned to face him before reaching over to pat the boy on his broad shoulders. He couldn't help noting just how much the boy had grown, it seemed that with each passing day he was only getting more and more like his father. No matter how many times Jack saw them, it never failed to amuse him how much Agnes and Kristoffer were like their parents. Kristoffer had his mother's strawberry-blonde hair colour, but his fathers build and calm disposition. Agnes, on the other-hand, had inherited her father's blonde hair and her mother's optimistic and spirited nature. The kids were polar opposites of each other and yet they somehow balanced each other out, much like their parents.

* * *

Their walk to the castle chapel was quiet. Agnes had been quick to grasp her father's hand, their previous battle over chocolate all but forgotten. Kristoffer hung back, preferring to walk beside his uncle and Olaf - who was busy twirling the small flower he'd stolen from one of the vases in the castle.

Jack pushed the door to the chapel open. Inside he could see the small, select crowd of mourners. The family had opted to invite only a close group to mourn with them in the chapel. They wanted to keep the numbers limited to only their nearest and dearest. His eyes glanced over to see a few nobles along with their most trusted servants.

The crowd shifted in their seats as Jack, Kristoff and the children made their way down the aisle to find their seats. Beside him, he heard Kristoffer let out a sniffle, instinctively he reached his hand out to grip the grieving child's hand. He knew that the boy was trying to remain brave, but the emotions of the day, coupled with the sudden attention had startled him.

Glumly, he took a seat, shuffling over to free up space for the children and Kristoff to sit down. Now more than ever he wished he could take Elsa's hand in his and breathe in her scent, but he couldn't. Instead he focused his attention on the bishop as he stood up to begin the service.

"It is with sadness that we gather here today, to honour and pay our respects to a beautiful lady. A lady who brought joy and happiness to those of us lucky enough to know her," began the bishop. "As was her wishes, we have decided on a small, private ceremony. After all, she was one who valued family and close friends, over large crowds and acquaintances."

The ceremony continued with readings, poems and a moving eulogy until it finally came time for the family to say their final farewells. Jack followed the children and Kristoff as they laid a flower in the open casket.

Standing at the casket, he allowed himself to look down at the body. "You gave so much of yourself to others. You loved with a pure heart. We're all better for having known you," he murmured before stepping to the side.

The funeral finished and the mourners gathered in the castle grounds where sleds were waiting to take them to the royal burial plot. Jack, Kristoff, Kristoffer, Agnes and Olaf climbed into the first sled which was being led by Kristoff's reindeer, Sven. Silently, they made their way through the town where the townsfolk lined the streets, their heads bowed in a final sign of respect for the departed

Arriving at the burial site, Jack felt his breath hitch when he noticed the new headstone that had been erected. He noted, with bitter irony that she would finally be reunited with her parents. Climbing out of the sled, he reached to help Agnes out before walking with her towards the open plot.

They stood in sombre silence, all reflecting on the loved one they had lost. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kristoff struggling to hold back a tear, his arms wrapped tightly around his children. Sniffing, Jack could feel his own emotions get the better of him as a lone tear fell from his eyes. His thoughts once again turned to the woman he loved, his own precious angel.

As if right on cue a lone figure appeared by his side, her hand reaching to grip his. Jack could feel his spirits lift slightly as he pulled her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her. He had her, she was safe with him and he had no intention of letting her go.

"She'd have loved that you wore shoes you know," she murmured. "Thank you for being here."

Jack smiled and breathed in the familiar scent of Elsa's perfume. He held her close as she buried her head against her chest and tilted her head up to face him.

"I missed you during the ceremony. I wish that I didn't have to sit up the front with the bishop. I dearly wanted to be by your side and to sit with you, Kristoff, and the children, but rules say the ruling monarch must sit up front," Elsa whispered.

"Baby, the best thing you could do for me today is to come back into my arms," Jack cried, "Now are we going to do the thing?"

As the final words of prayer were said, the snow queen and her winter spirit stepped forward to combine their powers. Together, they created a small dusting of snow which they used to send with Anna as she bid farewell to the world.


	4. Chapter 7-Girls Just Want To Have Fun

**Girls Just Want To Have Fun**

"_I come home in the morning light_

_My mother says when you gonna live your life right_

_Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones_

_And girls they want to have fun_

_Oh girls just want to have fun"_

_Girls Just Want To Have Fun~ Cyndi Lauper_

The sound of laughter filled the lounge room while the familiar tune of an 80's classic burst onto the stereo. Inside the small room sat two sisters. The younger of the two was busy checking the video camera in preparation for the night's performance.

"You said nothing about videoing it," grumbled a rough voice. "This better not end up on You Tube."

"What's the matter, Kristoff? I happen to think pink is your colour," teased Jack, batting his eyes at the embarrassed blonde.

"Shut up, Frost, it's your fault we're in this mess in the first place," chided Kristoff, tugging on the foreign fabric which he'd found himself wearing.

Jack laughed. "How was I supposed to know that your sweet and innocent girlfriend was secretly skilled at Beer Pong? No one told me about her secret life as an alcoholic."

"Not my fault you boys are losers. Best of three boys, best of three and we won fair and square," boasted Anna, as she strode past them and into the kitchen drink where she grabbed a drink. "Now on with the show we need to get this finished before Elsa passes out."

"Your girlfriend sure is bossy you know that?" Jack asked, nodding his head in the direction of the retreating girl.

"I heard that, Frost. Shut your trap and get out here. Don't make me send my sister out there to round you up!" Anna shouted.

"Jackson, just shut up and get on with it. Don't make me come out there," Elsa shouted sarcastically.

Jack gulped and looked down at his feet. He knew that where Anna was loud and in your face, it was Elsa that you had to look out for. She was the silent assassin and he knew better than to piss her off too much. Three years together had taught Jack exactly how far he could push Elsa's buttons before she snapped.

Seizing his moment for revenge, Kristoff swiped. "Ooh, look who's scared of his girlfriend," he teased, and reached to pinch Jack's cheeks.

"Shut up, blondie-bear," Jack retorted before rubbing his cheeks.

Kristoff opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Elsa poking her head through the door.

"Would you two like to quit your flirting and come perform? Or should we invite the hockey boys and their girlfriends to come watch?" she teased, wagging her finger in the boys' faces.

Jack hung his head in shame. Looking out the corner of his eye he saw that Kristoff had also chosen to hang his head while he mumbled his apology. He heard Elsa let out a loud laugh before she turned to return to the couch.

"You heard her, boys. Don't keep us waiting," Anna teased as she brushed past them waving the stereo remote. "Although it would be nice to see Punzie and Flynn again. It's been a while since we've seen Tia and Aster, too. Maybe Elsa should make that call after all."

Kristoff looked at Jack before throwing his hands up in defeat. "You know if we don't do it now, they _will _call the guys from the team. I really don't want Ryder to see me like this. We'll never live it down."

Grabbing the hairbrush that would be used as a microphone, Jack smirked. "Aww, don't worry, Krissy, you look good. I'm sure that Flynn would try his famous smoulder on you."

"You boys have exactly 10 seconds to get out here or else the video's definitely going on You Tube and being sent to the entire school," yelled Anna. "Don't for a second think that we're bluffing."

Jack shrugged. "It's now or never. Lets just get this over and done with."

"Start the music," Kristoff grumbled.

The music started and Kristoff and Jack waltzed into the room. Their hands gripped tightly to

the hem of their girlfriends clothes. Jack had to admit that being leaner than Kristoff had its advantages. He'd managed to slip into one of Elsa's light blue summer dresses with relative ease. Kristoff, on the other-hand, had been forced to squeeze into one of Anna's pink skirts and a purple blouse that he'd left unbuttoned out of fear his broad shoulders would ruin it.

To their relief, the girls had not asked them to wear a pair of their shoes. Anna had raised the idea, however, Elsa had put her foot down and had stated that Jack would likely snap one of her heels if he dared tried them on.

Ignoring the loud laughter from their girlfriends, the two boys proceed to sway to the music. Their fingers wrapped tightly around their makeshift microphones while they lip-synced to the familiar song. It had taken mere seconds for any embarrassment Jack had felt to disappear. Instead he'd turned his attention to hamming it up and struck several poses while flipping his hair for the girls.

Kristoff, on the other-hand, continued to appear less than enthused with their current situation and had taken to standing frozen to the spot while moving his mouth absent-mindedly. Grinning, Jack grabbed hold of the brawny male and pulled himself so that he was serenading him. The sound of Anna's laughter increased and spurred Jack on. Smirking, he twirled around Kristoff, ignoring the harsh glares he was receiving.

Finally, the song came to an end with Anna managing to stop laughing long enough to hit pause on the stereo. Taking his bow, Jack grinned. "Ladies, before you get too excited I will remind you that I am a taken man. You have my apolo- oof" he began, his sentence being cut off by the cushion that had been flung at his face.

His eyes fell on the two sisters who had remained seated on the couch. The video camera had long been forgotten as the girls struggled to contain their laughter. Anna was the first to move. After getting up, she made her way to Kristoff in order to help him wiggle out of her clothes. Jack chuckled as he heard her mutter something about wanting to get her clothes back before Kristoff went all 'Hulk-mode' on them and ripped them from his body.

Smirking, Jack plopped himself onto Elsa's lap and wrapped his arms around her neck. Leaning in, he batted his eyebrows at her. "Tell me I look pretty," he purred.

Leaning in close, Elsa placed a trail of kisses from his shoulders, up his neck, and along his jaw before she reached his ears. "Get out of my dress before you get too attached to it," she ordered.

Jumping up, he turned to face Elsa. A wide smile crept across his face as he slowly inched backwards towards the door. "If you say so," he sang. "Besides, I want to see what else you have in your wardrobe that would look good on me."


	5. Chapter 8- Far Longer Than Forever

FAR LONGER THAN FOREVER

"_Far longer than forever ( far longer than forever)_

_I swear that I'll be true (I swear that I'll be true)_

_I've made an everlasting vow to find a way to you_

_Far longer than forever_

_Like no love ever known_

_And with your love I'll never be alone_

_Far longer than forever_

_Much stronger than forever_

_And with your love I'll never be alone"_

_~Far Longer Than Forever~ The Swan Princess (sung by Liz Callaway)_

The sound of music filled the grand ballroom. The guests who were attending stepped aside to make way for the newlyweds to enter.

Hand in hand, the couple made their way onto the large dance floor. Their appearance drawing appraisal from the crowd. The young groom looked particularly dapper in his military suit. The light blue jacket with the navy blue sash running across the chest fit him just right. The navy blue trousers with the silver streak running along the side matched the jacket perfectly and made for a welcome change from the casual clothes the young man normally opted for. His tousled silver-white hair had been styled down with only a few loose strands which refused to settle.

The woman on his arms was equally as breathtaking. Dressed in a light blue sweet-heart bodice gown with ice-themed rosemaling, she was the definition of elegance and beauty. Her gold tiara sat atop her platinum-blonde bun with the blue jewels of the headpiece perfectly accentuating her blue eyes.

To those who had been lucky to score an invite, the newly married couple were the picture of perfection. They looked with pride and respect at the handsome man who had become the king consort and their beautiful queen. To the guests, the newlyweds appeared to be perfectly at ease with their situation. They could never have guessed that their beautiful, young ruler was plagued with anxiety.

* * *

Sensing his wife's anxiety, Jack leaned in and pulled her close to him. His grip on her was firm as they prepared to begin their first waltz as a married couple, "Keep your eyes on me, love," he whispered. "It's just you and me darling, you and me."

The music swelled and Jack took the lead. He twirled Elsa in a clockwise direction around the floor. A few gasps could be heard coming from the crowd and he smirked. He had been expecting a few interesting reactions to their chosen dance.

The Viennese waltz was a popular dance in the ballrooms of European nobility. It had been the obvious choice for their first dance as husband and wife. Learning the moves had taken them more than a few lessons. Their efforts were made harder by their decision to adapt the dance to suit their own needs. In order to help ease Elsa's anxiety, they had opted to perform the dance in the slightly controversial closed position, which enabled her to keep her focus on him.

Jack knew that their would be those in the crowd who would be bound to disapprove of their dance, but he didn't care. As far as he was concerned, their opinions didn't matter. Not when his priority was and always would be, Elsa. She may be their queen, but she was also his wife and the woman he loved. As her husband, he would always put her needs first and foremost.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Elsa continued to stare into Jack's eyes. She focused all her efforts into looking at him and ignoring the stares and whispers of the invited guests. She had never been good with being the centre of attention, something which proved difficult at times given that she was queen. Still, at least she had Jack by her side. He had never failed to stand by her side and support her.

* * *

_Elsa sat perched upon her throne and slowly sipped her wine. Her eyes glanced over the finely-dressed couples as they twirled around the dance floor. Their movement falling into sync with the band that played loud, joyous music. _

_She watched as the masked dancers passed her by, their faces a picture of happiness as they swayed to the beat. Her eyes fell on Olaf, the living snowman who had managed to convince a younger guest to hold onto his twig arms as he spun her around. Shifting her gaze, she searched through the guests until she found her sister, Anna, and her partner, Kristoff. Smiling, she leaned back and watched as the couple swept around the floor. Their moves appeared somewhat graceful until Kristoff accidentally stepped on Anna's face. She'd watched with amusement as he had stopped to apologise, a deep blush on his face which had changed to frustration when Anna had responded to his behaviour by purposefully stepping on his foot. The happy faces and sound of laughter filling the room suggested that the guests were enjoying themselves_

_She still couldn't believe that the townsfolk had agreed to come to the ball, or that they had trusted her. After all, it had only been six months earlier when she had returned to Arendelle after accidentally revealing her powers and freezing the kingdom. Since then, she'd held many public skating events and talks in the castle grounds, but this ball marked the first time that guests had returned to the infamous ballroom where she had first lost control of her powers on her coronation._

_She had since learned how to cope with her curse and had a better idea how to control it. Fortunately the townsfolk had shown her goodwill and had seemingly accepted her heartfelt apology. Still, she couldn't help but be plagued by the memory of the mishap. The cruel names directed at her by the banished Duke of Weselton had been one thing. However, it was the memory of how the disgraced Prince Hans had betrayed her beloved sister and had plotted to kill them, that had really rattled her. She had been the one who had been deemed a 'monster' by the Duke, but it was Hans who had revealed himself to be the real monster._

_The sound of a throat clearing interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, she found herself face to face with a tall, lanky stanger with silver-white hair and carrying a shepherd's staff. "May I have this dance, Your Majesty?" he asked before bowing respectfully._

_She looked at the boy and affixed the same shy smile that she'd used to turn down the other men who had asked for a dance. She hated having to deny them and knew that it made her appear rude and aloof. She was also aware of the courage they had shown in approaching her, but she couldn't let her guard down. The risk of her powers getting out of control was too strong. Dancing was intimate and if her curse presented itself then she could harm someone. As queen she had to protect her people, even if it meant denying herself the chance for a bit of fun._

"_My apologies, kind sir, but I do not dance," she replied, her eyes downcast._

_Undeterred by her refusal, the stranger had continued. His blue eyes twinkled from behind the black mask he wore. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I simply can not take no for an answer," he replied while a lopsided grin spread across his face._

_Elsa glanced at her hands as she considered the polite way to deny the determined individual. If it wasn't for her curse, she'd have happily accepted. The look of joy on the faces of the couples on the floor had her captivated and she longed to join them. Still, she had to remain firm in her refusal. After all, it was for his safety._

_Opening her mouth to speak, she was just about to repeat her previous refusal when the stranger cut her off. Stepping forward, he ignored all royal protocol as he leaned down daringly close to her. His lips rested inches away from her ear and she could feel his breath on her as he spoke. "Forgive my forwardness, Milady, but you can not hurt me. You see, we are the same," he whispered._

_Cocking her head, Elsa had been about to give the signal to the guards when something had stopped her. The stranger had held up his hooked staff and had produced a single snowball which he had then given to her allowing her to inspect it. _

_Elsa gasped. She'd never seen someone with powers like hers. Smiling, she held out her hand. "One dance, good sir," she agreed._

"_That's all I ask, Your Highness," the stranger said. _

"_Elsa, call me Elsa," she whispered, suddenly nervous in the presence of the intriguing man._

_"Alright, Elsa," he agreed. "The name's Jack, Jack Frost."_

* * *

A light brush of her cheek was enough to snap Elsa out of her flashback. Blinking, she focused on her husband.

"Tell me your thoughts, my wife," Jack grinned "You've had a dreamy look on your face for the last two minutes."

Elsa smiled at him. "I was just remembering the night we met. The way you convinced me to dance and refused to take no for an answer," she said, reaching out to stroke at a strand of his hair.

"Ah yes, I remember. I had bragging rights for weeks for managing to get the queen to agree to a dance," Jack said and chuckled to himself.

Elsa groaned. "I should have stuck to my guns and continued to say no. Had I known how cocky you can be, I would have," she taunted.

Jack stopped. He pulled back and placed his hand over his heart before looking at her.

"My queen, I am hurt. I would have thought you loved me, you did after all agree to marry me," he teased.

Elsa shook her head. She could feel the wide smile forming on her face as she pulled him closer to her. "Giving in to your persistence was the best decision I ever made," she smiled "I love you, my husband."

* * *

**A/N- I don't normally do these, but I wish to thank Sparkles022811 for the suggestion of this song, and the kind words. I'd not heard this song before, but it's absolutely gorgeous and works perfectly for Jack and Elsa.  
**


	6. Chapter 9- Dark Horse

**DARK HORSE**

"_So you wanna play with magic_

_Boy, you should know what you're falling for_

_Baby do you dare to do this?_

_Cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse_

_Are you ready for, ready for_

_A perfect storm, perfect storm_

_Cause once you're mine, once you're mine_

_There's no going back"_

_Katy Perry~ Dark Horse_

The sound of thunder filled the air, rattling the windows of the modest two-story house. Another clap sounded and the power cut out, throwing the neighbourhood into darkness.

Inside the house a teenage girl screamed, seemingly unimpressed with being cut off from the convenience of technology. Stretching her long legs, she stood up and grabbed her iPhone,

thankful for the in-built flashlight app which had come installed on the current model. She tapped the screen and watched as a small burst of light filled the room. It wasn't a lot, but it would give her enough light to safely navigate her way downstairs where she'd be able to find her Dad.

Opening the door, she let herself out of her room. The sound of a door rattling across the hall told her that she wasn't the only one who was unhappy with the current situation. She heard a loud grunt as her older brother joined her in the hallway.

"Out of my way, butt-head, this is important," she ordered, pushing the older boy out of her path.

"Aww, did the storm interrupt you watching another stupid cat video?" mocked the boy "Or were you stalking Eric Triton's Facebook again? You know he's never going to date you."

"Shut up, loser! Like you'd ever get a girlfriend. All you do is sit on your ass and play your stupid Xbox," she growled, tossing her platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder.

Thundering down the stairs, the two teens reached the wide,double doors that led to the loungeroom. They paused momentarily upon noticing the flickering shadows coming from the room. Turning to face each other, they shared a quick glance before nudging each other out the way as they raced to claim their parent's attention.

"Oh eww," they shrieked in unison.

A blush crept over both teens faces as they watched their parents sit up from the couch, their hair dishevelled from the heavy make-out session they had been enjoying.

Sitting up to face the teens, Jack grinned. "It's nice to know we can still provide our kids with a few traumatic experiences," he smirked, reaching his hand out to help Elsa re-button her blouse. "Tell me, Lucas, Charlotte, to what do we owe this pleasure?"

Charlotte pranced across the room and sat herself down on Jack's knee before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Daddy, the power's gone out. Can you please go fix it?" she pouted and tightened her grip on his neck.

"Yeah, she may miss the latest important status update from Eric Triton. Like, I don't know, how many times he's looked in the mirror in the last hour," scoffed Lucas.

"At least he takes pride in his appearance, unlike you. I swear, you never brush your hair and hardly change your clothes. Mum even has to remind you to take a bath," the young girl retorted and lunged at her brother.

"That's because I have a personality. I don't need to rely on superficial things such as my looks in order to get people to notice me," smirked Lucas before taking a seat on the beanbag which sat in the corner of the room.

"Oh puh-lease, you have the personality of a rock troll" glared Charlotte.

"That's enough," Elsa snapped. "The power has gone out all over the neighbourhood. There is nothing we can do except ride out the storm."

"Yeah, so if you can please leave. Your mother and I were busy," complained Jack and reached over to pull Elsa back towards him.

Elsa swatted Jack's hand away as the kids recoiled in horror. "Honey, I think we've disturbed our kids enough for the day," she chuckled, before reaching out to smooth at her long platinum-blonde hair.

Jack pouted. He turned to face his wife and put on his best puppy-dog look. "Baby, we owe it to them to be embarrassing. It is part of the parental rights. You know, the thing we signed at their birth?" he joked.

Elsa laughed. "I just think we should conserve our energy. We're going to need it for later," she flirted and placed a kiss on her husband's lips.

"Oh god, can you please keep your hands and lips off of each other for a few minutes?" begged Charlotte. "I swear, Carla Haddock has it all wrong in wishing her parents were more like you two. I'd give anything for the two of you to keep your hands off each other for once."

Jack snorted. "That's because Carla's father is completely terrified of his wife. Astrid's always worn the trousers in that relationship."

"Jack," Elsa warned. "Behave, or you won't get to play later."

Jack stroked the back of his head as a thought crossed his mind. "If I remember correctly, it was a day much like today when your mum and I first met," he stated.

"Are you going to tell us that story again?" whined Lucas and stifled a yawn.

Jack grinned as a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye. "Well, if you don't want to _hear_ the story, we could always _show _you how you came to be alive," he teased.

"Jackson! Stop torturing our kids. They've had enough for today," Elsa cautioned.

Jack smirked. "You see that blush creeping up your mum's face? You get that trait from her. I never get emba- " he started, his words cut off by the presence of a cushion that had been flung at him by his embarrassed wife.

Charlotte sighed. "If we agree to listen to your story, will you promise to at least keep your hands and lips off each other for the rest of the day? Or at least for as long as we are in the room?"

"Deal," Elsa agreed, reaching out to push a strand of hair from her daughter's face.

"I'll compromise with you. I won't kiss her, but at least let me hold your mum," Jack pleaded. "It's either this or I resume our make-out session right here, right now."

"Dad!" screeched the teens in unison.

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Jack sat down and draped his legs on Elsa's lap. "Okay, okay, you win."

"Now, where were we? Oh yes, the day your mum and I first met," Jack sighed, dreamily.

"It was a cold winter's day. I was running late for hockey practice and had just climbed into my car when I remembered that I'd left my mouth guard in my dorm room," Jack began. "The sky was dark and rain was coming down, but that didn't bother me. After all, I'd be changing into my hockey gear once I hit the rink anyway. I had just managed to get inside my dorm building when the lights started to flicker. I was in a hurry so I decided to take the lift and not the stairs. There was only one other person in the lift, your mum, and she was kind enough to hold the door open long enough for me to enter."

Elsa interjected. "So, he gets in the elevator and he's soaking wet from rain. He presses the button for his floor which happened to be the same floor I was staying on. The lift had only just begun to move when the power went out, leaving us stuck in the dark in a stalled elevator."

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_Elsa sighed. It was typical that she'd be be stupid enough to take an elevator in the middle of a storm. If only she'd not wasted so much time studying in the library then she'd not be running late and she'd have already arrived at her cousin Punzie's house where she'd be laughing and having fun._

"_Stupid, I'm so stupid," she muttered, not caring if the boy she was trapped with heard her or not._

Jack glanced over at the young girl and frowned, "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"_Oh, it's fine, I...I just, I'm running late, and now I'm, well, we, are stuck," the girl responded and furrowed her eyebrows._

_He chuckled. "Yes, we are. That will teach us to be running late. So, what's your excuse for being late?" he asked. _

_Elsa softened. She wasn't normally so relaxed around strangers, but something in the boy's voice made her feel secure. "I was studying and lost track of time. I'm meant to be at my cousin's house, helping her prepare for her engagement party," she explained, while tugging_

_Jack nodded. "Okay, my excuse. I'm headed to hockey practice, but I left my mouth guard on my desk. I can't play without it - my dentist would flip if something happened to any of my teeth -she's kind of obsessed with them," he laughed before smiling at her."I'm Jack by the way, Jack Frost."_

"_Elsa, Elsa Andersen," the platinum-blonde girl replied, extending her hand for him to shake._

_Jack grinned. Taking her hand, he planted a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Enchanted," he murmured. "You just reminded me, I'm due to go to an engagement party later tonight. One of the guys from my hockey team just popped the question to his girlfriend."_

_Elsa looked up. "Hockey team, hmm, it's not Eugene 'Flynn Rider' Fitzherbert is it?" she asked. _

_Jack stretched his legs. "Yeah that's him. He's a bit of a pretty-boy rascal, but he's a good sort," he said. "Plays goalie on my team."_

_Elsa smiled. "He's marrying my cousin Punzie," she explained. "My sister, Anna, and I are going to be bridesmaids," she reached into her bag to pull out her phone before checking it. "There's no signal. I was meant to be there 20 minutes ago," she frowned._

_Jack leaned forward. "Hey, look on the bright side. You could be stuck in here with someone boring and ugly, but instead you're stuck with me," he joked. "How long have we been in here anyway?"_

"_Not even 10 minutes. Don't tell me I'm boring you already," Elsa replied, laughing nervously. _

_She lowered her head to look at her hands, inwardly cursing herself for being such a boring conversationalist._

"_No, not at all," Jack denied. "It's just that I'd hate for you to feel uncomfortable. I mean, a beautiful woman like yourself. You've probably got a boyfriend somewhere who is currently worried that his girl is trapped in an elevator with an incredibly sexy, funny and skilled hockey player."_

_Beside him he heard Elsa laugh, a loud melodic sound that somehow seemed to suit her. He glanced at the ground and steeled himself for the words that he didn't want to hear. _

_He'd had a hopeless crush on Elsa ever since the first time he had laid eyes on her. She had been sitting in the backseat of Flynn's car with her cousin and another girl, who he assumed to be her sister. He had been smitten instantly. She was beautiful. No, she was more than beautiful, she was heavenly, like an angel that had fallen to earth. With one glance in a fleeting moment, she had stolen his heart. However, it could never be. Someone as beautiful as Elsa, would never go for a clown like Jack Frost._

"_No, no boyfriend," she replied, shaking her head._

"_What?! How?" spluttered Jack, before he composed himself again. "I mean, how is that possible? You're obviously friendly, intelligent, interesting and you're clearly the most beautiful girl to ever exist."_

_Nervously, he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. His pale cheeks had now turned a deep shade of red. Silently, he prayed for the ground to open and swallow him whole. He had started off so smooth and then, had let it all go to pieces when she'd revealed herself to be single. Still, he reasoned that it wasn't his fault, anyone would be shocked to discover a woman like Elsa Andersen was single. _

_Elsa froze. She could have sworn Jack Frost had just called her beautiful. "Did you just...do you...think I'm beautiful? she stammered, not daring to look up from her lap._

_Jack gulped. He could feel the words rushing to his lips. The urge to just spit it out and tell her the truth was on the tip of his tongue. He'd already ruined all chances of playing it cool. As far as he was concerned, there was little more that he could do, other than be honest with her. _

"_Uh yeah," he admitted. "I do, I do think you're beautiful. No, you're beyond beautiful, I mean the word beautiful is too simple for you. It doesn't do you justice. I'm sorry. I'm pathetic, but I may as well tell you. I've pretty much had a crush on you ever since I first saw you with Flynn and Punzie."_

_He let out a loud exhale and fell back against the wall of the elevator, closing his eyes as he willed her to go easy on him. _

_Elsa felt like she could explode with happiness. She didn't know whether to laugh, cry or scream with giddiness. She could hardly believe that a guy like Jack Frost, with his lean, muscular body, his tousled silver-white hair and piercing blue eyes, could find her attractive - let alone beautiful as he'd put it. _

_She had found Jack attractive from the moment she had first seen him. Having finished her classes, she had accompanied Punzie one afternoon when she had gone to collect Flynn from hockey practise. Upon seeing Flynn, Punzie had fled from her side and had leapt into her boyfriends arms before engaging in a rather public display of affection. Not wanting to feel like the third wheel, Elsa had wandered off to purchase a bottle of water from the vending machine. Her drink in hand, she had headed back in the direction of her cousin when something had stopped her. _

_The sound of a loud, jovial voice could be heard coming from behind her. She had turned on her spot and had seen him. He had been standing in the middle of a group of boys from the hockey team, laughing and telling jokes. There was something about him that had captivated her. For some reason, she had been unable to shake the feeling that he was someone special. He seemed to have the aura of fun about him and she couldn't help wonder who he was._

_The sound of a throat clearing broke her from her thoughts. Blinking, Elsa turned to face the young man who had captivated her less than six months earlier. The same man who had just admitted to thinking she was beautiful and having a crush on her._

"_I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Jack sad._

"_No, no it's fine," she replied, wrapping her arms around herself. "You just took me by surprise that's all," she blushed and bit her lip. _

_Jack glanced at her from under his tousled hair. "I... If I made you uncomfortable in anyway, then I apologise," he said, apologetically._

_Shaking her head, she looked up at him before unfolding her arms from around her waist. "No, that's fine," she smiled. "It's just...it's...I..I kind of like you too," she whispered._

_She let out a soft squeal and buried her head in her hands. She had no idea what she had expected to happen, or what was expected of her in this situation. Beside her, she heard Jack draw in a breathe of air before letting it out again. She couldn't help wondering if her admittal of feelings had suddenly caused him to lose interest in her...maybe she had been too honest?_

_Jack let out a breath that he'd not realised he had been holding. He had no idea what he had expected, but it sure hell hadn't been that Elsa Andersen would have a crush on him. _

_Suddenly, he felt a flash of boldness overcome him. Leaning forward, he reached his hand out to gently lift her head away from her hands. He watched as her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. Her pale cheeks were tinged with a blush which somehow made her even more adorable. His eyes flicked between her own blue eyes and her plum coloured lips. He could feel his heart pounding while he waited, hoping that she had picked up on his non-verbal request. To his relief, she had and nodded her permission._

_Taking his cue, he moved his hand so that it was cupping her face. He shuffled closer to her. Leaning in, he watched as her eyes closed and she tilted her head slightly. The scent of her perfume filled his nostrils as he brought her lips closer to his. Closing his eyes, he moved to close the last gap and..._

"_Fuck," Jack cursed, as the lights flicked back on_

_Groaning, Jack pulled back and looked at Elsa. He put his hand out to help keep her steady as the elevator lurched back into motion. They stood in silence as the elevator continued it's journey. It seemed only natural that he would finally get the chance to kiss the girl of his dreams, only for the power to come back on and kill the mood. Still, at least now he knew that she liked him and that she had wanted to kiss him._

_Stepping out of the elevator, he pulled Elsa to the side. "Well, I've basically missed practise and you are already running late. What say you call your cousin, tell her what happened and say that you'll be arriving with me?" he asked._

"_Are you asking me on a date, Jack Frost?" Elsa teased, failing to hide the small smile that was forming on her delicate face. _

_Jack grinned. "Well, we did almost kiss back there and you know, most people go on the date first," he said, "So, what do you say?"_

_He watched as Elsa blushed and blinked at him from behind a strand of her long hair. "I'd say to pick me up in 45 minutes. I'll ring Punzie and let her know why I'm late and tell her that I'll be arriving with you," she said._

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

"Wow," murmured Charlotte.

She had always known that her parents were hopelessly in love with each other, but the story of how they came to be together was something else.

"Wait, was that... did we just manage to impress Miss 'Too-cool-for-anything'?" Jack grinned. "I mean, I know this isn't as impressive as Facebook, cat video's or Eric Triton's hair," he teased.

Charlotte opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the sound of the power returning.

Jumping from his spot on the floor, Lucas punched the air in victory. "Power's back, see you later," he yelled and ran out of the room.

Elsa gazed at her daughter. She could see the 14-year-old was holding back. "Go. If you want to go back to your room, just go, it's okay," she assured her.

Nodding, the teen girl stood up. She leaned down and placed a kiss on her mum's forehead before turning and leaving the room.

Elsa sighed. She watched as the last of their kids left the room before edging closer to Jack. Reaching out, she pulled him towards her for a hug. "It really was the perfect storm," she murmured " It lead me to you, to all of this," she finished and gestured to the family photo's that decorated the walls.

"Mmm," Jack agreed, kissing her on the forehead. "I did tell you all those years ago that once you were mine, I'd never let you go and I wasn't joking," he smiled

Elsa stood up. Leaning down, she grabbed at Jack's hand before pulling him to his feet. She waited for him to regain his balance before throwing her arms around his neck and bringing him closer to her. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to her lips. She felt Jack tense up for a second, before he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her back, holding her tight.

"I think it's best we take our kids lead and head to our room. I'm pretty sure we've given them more than their fair share of traumatic images for the day," Elsa whispered. "Besides, the stuff I have planned to do to you is NOT suitable for innocent eyes," she winked.

Jack smirked. Carefully, he placed one arm under his wife's knees and picked her up before carrying her bridal style out of their lounge room.

"Happy Anniversary, Elsa Frost," he whispered.

* * *

**A/N- **

**In case you're wondering, this story takes place in 2021.  
Jack and Elsa met when they were 18 in 2001. I sadly lack the ability to tell the future, so have no idea whether or not Facebook or cat video's will still be keeping people interested in the future.  
Charlotte's iPhone with the inbuilt flashlight app is based off the iPhone 5s which I own and which does have the inbuilt flashlight app :)**


	7. Chapter 10- You And Me

**You and Me **

"_Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose_

_And it's you and me and all of the people_

_And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you"_

_Lifehouse~ You And Me_

Jack sighed. Peering out the window of the plane, he watched as the bright lights of Toronto got closer before the wheels finally touched down.

He'd spent the last two weeks overseeing the opening of a new youth centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The hours had been long and he couldn't deny that he was glad it was over. He loved his job as a youth worker for the Guardian corporation, but the work was exhausting and at times it left him physically and emotionally drained. He spent his days working with at-risk families and youths and at times he struggled to leave that work at the office. There had been many times when he'd been exposed to some truly horrid cases and had faced abuse, yet had been expected to leave it at the office when he returned to his own family. Still, despite the fact that the work could be troubling, he truly loved his colleagues and found his work to be rewarding. The fact that it enabled him to provide a comfortable life for his own family was an added bonus.

This particular trip had been marred by the fight that he'd had with his wife, Elsa, before he'd left. It had been a long night and after a bit of opposition they had finally managed to convince their two-year-old son, Lucas, to go to bed. After kissing the small boy's head they had retired to their bedroom where Jack had proceeded to start packing for his trip.

He had not failed to notice that Elsa had remained strangely quiet while he packed. Neither of them liked to be apart from each other at the best of times. Still, when her small voice had broken the silence to inform him that she didn't want him to go he'd crumbled.

Turning around, he had dropped the pants he'd been holding and had gone to her side. Leaning down, he'd pressed a small kiss to her forehead and had stroked her hair in what he hoped would provide her with some comfort. He knew that they would get through it. After all, it wasn't the first time that he'd left her at home to travel for work. The last time he'd been sent away had been just over two years earlier when his work had sent him to Edmonton, Alberta. Elsa had been heavily pregnant at the time and had opted to stay home where she could apply the final touches to the nursery in their home in suburban Toronto.

However, things were different this time. A disgruntled father, by the name of Mitch Black, had made a threat against all members of Jack's office after they had assisted his battered ex-wife to obtain a custody order. The court approved order prevented the violent man from having access to his two children and his ex. The enraged man had stormed into the Guardian's head office a week ago where he had made a direct threat to Jack, his loved ones and all who had worked on the case.

Fearing for his family, Jack had purchased and installed security cameras at his home and had organised for his sister-in-law, Anna, and her burly fiance, Kristoff, to spend the fortnight in their guest room. He hoped that their presence would help keep Elsa's mind at ease as well as providing an extra pair of hands to help her with Lucas.

Evidently, it hadn't worked and no sooner had he returned to packing when Elsa had raised her voice again.

"You're telling me that this guy has got you scared enough to install security cameras and to impose on Anna and Kristoff's lives, but not scared enough for you to cancel your trip?" she'd asked, while furrowing her brows.

Jack had gulped and had turned to face her nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "El, you know it's not like that. I have to go on this trip. Besides, for all we know, Mitch Black could have just been talking out of his ass, but seeing as his last words were 'You will pay for this,' we have to take it seriously" he had replied.

Apparently this wasn't the correct answer and his wife had risen to her feet to stare him down.

"So, what you're saying is that this guy, who had no issues in beating his own wife and children, has threatened you as well as made an indirect threat to Lucas and I, and yet you are still going to leave us?" she'd countered.

"Elsa," he'd sighed."It's not like I have a choice. I'm the only one who can handle this particular opening. North, Sandy, Aster and the rest of the gang are all too busy with their own cases," he'd then reached out his hand to try and bring Elsa to rest against his chest, but she had brushed past him.

"So in other words this guy is scary, but you are totally fine with leaving your family to help set up some stupid centre on the other side of the country," she'd spat. "Nice to know where your priorities lie."

Frustrated, he had watched her as she had stormed from the room. After he finished packing, he had moved his suitcase to the front door ready for his 6am taxi. He'd then made his way through the quiet house to switch off all the lights before going to check on Lucas.

It had come as no surprise when he had found Elsa curled up asleep on their son's bed. He had known that she would go there. The small boy had a calming influence on both of them and helped remind them of what truly mattered.

He had felt a rush of warmth overcome him as he had taken in the sight of the two most precious people in his life curled up asleep together. Silently, he had tip-toed into the room and had leant down to press a kiss on his son's head. His eyes had glanced over Elsa's sleeping form before he'd sighed. Leaning down, he had carefully scooped her into his arms and carried her back to their bedroom. Her eyes had been stained with tears and he knew that it was because of him.

* * *

The sound of the pilot's voice travelling through the plane jolted Jack from his thoughts. Grinning, he removed his seatbelt and stretched his arms. He waited impatiently while the pilot went through the stock-standard spiel, welcoming passengers to the city and thanking them for flying with the airline.

Standing to his feet, he silently willed the passengers ahead of him to hurry up. He always hated leaving planes. It always seemed that no matter how long they had spent cooped up on the aircraft, there was always that one passenger who would take far too long to retrieve their bag from the overhead compartment and would hold everyone else up. Ordinarily, Jack was a patient man. However, this time was different and the faster he departed, the better.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and fumbled while he switched it on. To his disappointment, there was only one message- from Aster and even then it was simply to say that he was waiting in the arrivals lounge and to not be late.

Jack groaned. The message had been sent forty minutes ago which meant that his colleague, Aster 'Bunny' Bunnymund had already spent at the very least, fifty minutes in the airport. His Australian-born colleague was a known grump, especially when it came to time and money. He could already imagine the spiel he would get about the cost of airport parking, especially when combined with the cost of petrol. Thankfully, Jack had come prepared and had already set aside some money to cover fuel and parking fees. He figured that waving a $50 in Bunny's face and telling him to keep the change should be enough to shut him up.

Still, he couldn't really complain about Bunny. He knew that Aster and his wife, Tia, had taken it upon themselves to go and spend some time with Elsa and Lucas over the past two weeks. According to Elsa they had visited on a nightly basis and had shared a drink with her before heading home. When he had rung Bunny to thank him, he had been brushed off. Instead, he'd simply pointed out that it was 'what friends did' before elaborating to say that he had realised Jack was concerned for his family and wanted to help ease his mind.

Glancing at his watch, Jack noticed that it was 7:30pm local time and smiled. Right at this moment, Elsa would be locked in a nightly battle to convince Lucas to go to bed. For some reason, their normally agreeable son had become a terror when it came time for bed. He'd been refusing to go down to sleep for the last six weeks and had pushed his frustrated parents to their wits end.

* * *

Elsa wrung her hands nervously. The last two weeks without Jack at home had been hell. She missed him at the best of times, but this particular trip had been made worse by the threat that had been made towards him and the fight that she'd had with him the night before he left.

She had spent most of the past fortnight wracked with guilt over the fight. The words she had said to him, accusing him of caring more for his job than he did for her and Lucas, had hurt him and she knew it. What made it worse was the fact that they both knew it wasn't true.

Jack had never failed to put her first. From the moment they had begun dating, seven years ago, he had always made her his number-one priority. Everything he did was for her. When Lucas had been born he had extended that care to include him. There was nobody in this world who Jack cared for more than her or their son and she knew it.

She hadn't meant to snap at him that night. She knew that he didn't want to leave her or Lucas, not with the threat from Black. However, he had not had a choice. He had been telling the truth when he had told her that he was the only one who could handle the job. Still, despite his fear, he had done his best to ensure that she and Lucas were safe.

She had tried to apologise to him during their daily conversations, but it had been difficult. Jack had been busy with work and the three-hour time difference between Ontario and British Columbia, made it more challenging. Jack would ring her in the morning and they would manage a quick word of greeting before she would pass the phone to Lucas so that he could have a word to his father. By the time she managed to pry the phone back from Lucas it was too late and Jack had to leave for work. Their nightly calls were no better with Jack ringing her just before 10pm her time, by which point she was exhausted.

Aster had rung her the night before to inform her that he was going to collect Jack from the airport and she was welcome to tag along if he wanted. She had accepted his offer graciously after checking with Anna and Kristoff that they could stay a bit later to watch Lucas.

A loud shriek broke her from her thought. Looking up, she watched as a young couple reunited at the arrival gate next to Jack's and smiled. The man had come armed with a bouquet of flowers for the woman, who smiled and took them from him before pressing a kiss to his lips.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to her hands. She felt like she was a bundle of nerves. The knowledge that Jack was now home coupled with the emotions she had felt over the last two weeks and the news she had learned earlier that morning. As a result, she was an emotional ticking time-bomb and had no idea if she would cry or shriek upon seeing her husband.

"Oi, there's your boy," Aster's voice broke out, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Raising her head, she followed the direction in which Aster was pointing. Her eyes settled on a familiar head of silver- white hair hidden behind a tall man, the very same hair that her beloved son had inherited and she felt her breath hitch. She watched as Jack stepped into view to meet her gaze.

Suddenly their parting fight was all but forgotten. Her husband was back, he was home safe and sound. She could feel the tears falling down her face as she slowly moved forward. Her eyes fixed onto his while she broke into a light run, dodging people left and right as she made her way to Jack.

* * *

Jack searched the large waiting area as he looked for his friend. Fortunately, the Australian's height and burly frame meant that he stood out from the crowd and it hadn't taken Jack long to spot him. Jack groaned as he noticed the smirk on his friend's face. He had no doubt that the man was already planning to let fly with a smart-assed comment.

Suddenly, Jack's eyes fell on the slender woman standing beside Aster. Her platinum- blonde hair had been tied into a loose ponytail. He felt his mouth pulling into a grin as he met his wife's gaze. Grinning, he tightened his hold on his backpack as he broke into a light run. The crowd around him seemed to blur as he dodged people right and left to reach Elsa.

They collided in the middle. He let out a small sigh as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to pepper her face with kisses.

"I'm sorry," they blurted in unison before breaking into a fit of laughter.

"You first," he said, placing a kiss on Elsa's cheek.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I missed you so much. I love you," Elsa murmured, as she snuggled closer to him and bunched her fingers in the fabric of his hoodie.

Jack sighed. "I'm sorry too, baby. I love you and Lucas so much. You know I'd never do anything to cause you pain," he said, cupping her cheek to stroke the tears that fell from her face.

A broad Australian accent spoke up and snapped him from his momentary trance. "Hate to break up the show, but we best be getting you two home," Aster smirked "Although I still haven't gotten my kiss from you, Frosty."

"Shuddup, Rabbit," Jack smirked, reaching out to playfully smack his friend before placing his arm securely around Elsa's waist.

* * *

The drive home from the airport to the Frost's home had been uneventful. Jack had opted to sit in the back seat where he had kept his arms wrapped firmly around Elsa. Along the way, Aster had filled him in on the news of Mitch Black's arrest earlier that day. He'd waited for Jack to react before he'd explained how the violent man had been discovered by police and had been apprehended following a warrant for his arrest from his native United States and would be extradited to his home state of Colorado within the next twenty-four hours.

Once home, Jack had carried his suitcase in before bidding farewell to Anna and Kristoff. He'd ducked in for a quick shower while Elsa sorted through his suitcase. After stepping out of the shower, he had ducked in to Lucas' room to press a kiss on the sleeping boy's head before he had headed to the lounge room.

A few minutes later, Elsa had joined him on the couch. Grinning, he had pulled her to sit on his lap. His mind was filled with determination to catch up on the kisses he had missed over the last two weeks.

"Jack," Elsa whispered, snapping him from his thoughts.

"Mmm," he murmured, burying his head into the crook of her neck. "What's up, baby?"

"How do you think Lucas will adapt to being a big brother?" she asked

He felt his breath hitch as the words sunk in. Pulling his head back, he watched as Elsa tilted her head to face him, a wide smile playing on her lips. "Are you? Are we..?" he sputtered

Elsa chuckled and moved his hand to place it on her stomach. "I'm eight weeks pregnant," she confirmed. "I found out earlier this morning."

He let out a loud whoop. "Elsa!" he shrieked, leaning in to place a kiss on her lips. "This is amazing. No, this is more than amazing. This is the best news I've heard all day! We have to celebrate."

"Shh," Elsa warned, smiling at him. "I'm happy you're excited. I'm even more happy that you are home, but you have to keep your voice down. I don't want you to wake Luc-"

"Daddy?!"

Jack looked to the doorway to where his small son stood wiping his eyes and grinned. He heard Elsa let out an exasperated groan before she mumbled something about 'too late' and smirked. Getting to his feet, he moved over to where his beloved boy stood. Leaning down, he scooped the boy into his arms and smothered him with kisses. "Your mum's going to kill me for waking you. Still, I don't mind. I've missed you so much, little man," he cooed.

He watched as Elsa rolled her eyes before leaning down to press a kiss on their son's forehead. Her eyes glanced up to look at him and he noticed the small smile that was tugging on her lips. "Have fun getting him back to sleep," she chided, brushing past him.

Thirty minutes later, Jack had climbed into bed after convincing Lucas to go back down to sleep. He let out a loud yawn as he pulled Elsa to rest against his chest. He heard her let out a content sigh and smiled. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before moving his hand down to her stomach. His fingers splayed over the spot where their second child was growing, ready to join their happy family.

* * *

**A/N- This is another request, this time for Jelsa4Life who gave me 2 song suggestions. **


	8. Chapter 12- Your Guardian Angel

**Your Guardian Angel**

"_I will never let you fall (let you fall)_

_I'll stand up with you forever_

_I'll be there for you through it all (through it all)_

_Even if saving you sends me to heaven"_

_~Your Guardian Angel~ The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus_

The call had come while Jack was in the middle of an important work conference. The secretary had knocked once before poking her head in to alert the room that there was a frantic call on line one for him.

Excusing himself, he raced down the hall until he had reached his office. Picking up the phone, he pressed the button to take the call and said his greeting. A few seconds later and Kristoff had spoken. His normally gruff voiced sounding tense and laced with worry as he told Jack to make sure he was seated. Gulping, Jack had steadied himself on the corner of his desk. He heard Kristoff take in a breath of air. In the background he could hear loud sobbing and the wails of his son followed by Kristoff moving the phone while he hissed at Anna to leave the room.

"Kristoff," he called, bringing attention back to him. "Tell me what's going on. Please. I already know whatever it is, it has your wife and my son upset which leads me to believe it's to do wi-"

"He's back, Jack," Kristoff cut in.

Jack could feel the air being knocked out from him. Steadying himself, he started to move around his desk as he gathered his phone, wallet and keys.

"He...he waited until I'd left to take Sven for a walk and broke in. He..he had a gun this time. He...uh...he wanted to get to Anna, but Elsa...she uh got in the way. She pushed Anna, saved her. We're at St. Francis hospital in Morgans-"

"Lucas?" Jack broke in.

He heard Kristoff sigh. "Jack, I'll fill you in when you get here, it's the Morganside hospital, you know the one where El-"

"Kristoff," he cut in. "Listen to me, right now you have told me that my wife has been hit. I NEED to know about my son, please. Just tell me is he okay? Did he see anything?"

"He is fine, Jack," Kristoff answered. "Look, I know you're scared. I don't blame you. Just get here as fast as you can. I...I need to go. Sorry. I will meet you in the emergency room ok, see you soon."

Jack slammed the phone down and sprinted from the room. He tore down the corridor towards the conference room and flung the doors open. He paused briefly to catch his breath before letting the occupants know that he would be leaving. He stopped long enough for his boss, North, to nod his acknowledgment before turning and running out the door.

He sprinted through the office until he'd reached the elevators. Glancing between the slow office elevator and the staircase, he weighed up his options. Shrugging, he pulled open the door and thundered down the stairs, skipping two at a time until he'd reached the garage underneath. By the time he'd reached his car he had a stitch, but he didn't care.

Jumping in, he put the car into reverse and tore out of the parking lot. He heard the happy sound of the radio as the announcers chatted back and forth. Reaching down, he switched the dial to turn it off. His mind was too fraught with worry to care about whatever band had announced a tour or which celebrity relationship had ended. The only thing on his mind was making it to his wife's side, preferably without earning a speeding ticket in the process. He realised, sardonically that he didn't even need to ask who the 'he' was.

The 'he' referred to Edward 'Pitch' Black, otherwise known as Jack's high school bully. Pitch held an irrational hatred of Jack - the kind that came from pure, unbridled jealousy.

* * *

Over the course of their high school years, Pitch had developed strong, unrequited feelings for Elsa. The fact that Jack and Elsa were friends had always been a thorn in Pitch's side and he had made it known that he disliked the boy, whom he considered a potential threat. When Elsa had begun dating Jack, at the beginning of year eleven, Pitch had become furious. The 'potential threat' had shifted into 'actual threat' and that had made him a target.

He had started small. His focus had been on applying pressure in the hopes that it would get too much and would cause the relationship to crumble, thus leaving Elsa single. Sadly for him, Jack had been stronger than he looked. As such, the idle threats, snide remarks and occasional acts of physical violence had not garnered any results. Jack had refused to give up the girl he was in love with and had simply put up with it.

When they had left for university, he had stepped it up a notch and had gone from a high schooler whose crush had spurned him, to a stalker. He had thought nothing of creeping onto the campus of a school where he wasn't enrolled in order to target Jack. The one small benefit had been that during those years, he had only ever targeted Jack and had left Elsa alone. Aside from the anger and worry she had felt for Jack, Pitch had never said or done anything to directly harm Elsa.

All that had changed, however, six years into their relationship when Jack and Elsa had married. Seeing Elsa with the surname of Frost had infuriated Pitch. He had started to call her vile names and had made idle threats, telling her that he was going to make her regret the times she had turned him down. Annoyed, the couple had decided to move to a different suburb and had made every effort to prevent him from being able to contact them.

As luck would have it, they had managed to avoid Pitch for the first few years of their marriage which had led them to believe that the worst was over and he had finally decided to move on.

It took the birth of their son, two years earlier, for Pitch to rear his hate-filled head again. He had heard of the birth through a loose-lipped former classmate and it had pushed him to breaking point. The knowledge that Elsa had continued her relationship with Jack and had married him before giving birth to his child had driven him to act. Somehow, he had managed to find out where Jack worked and had approached him. He had stormed into the office and held nothing back when he hurled abuse and threatened Jack and his family.

The threats against Elsa and their son had been the last straw and Jack had snapped. He had gathered all documented cases of abuse and had stormed into the nearest police station to file out an AVO against Pitch. He'd then looked around to find a home located in a secure gated community where he felt safe to raise his family. Once they had moved in, he'd arranged for his sister-in-law and her husband to move in. His in-laws both worked from home which had given Jack a small peace of mind that his wife and son would rarely be left at home alone.

* * *

Arriving at the hospital, Jack parked the car and sprinted to the emergency room where Kristoff was waiting. Together, the two men had moved in the direction of Elsa's ward. Kristoff was quick to inform him that Elsa had been lucky. Apparently, the bullet had only scraped her hip and had missed all vital organs. As a result, she would be sent home with a few stitches and heavy duty pain medication.

Rounding the corner, Jack's eyes had latched onto Elsa who lay on a bed. She gave him a bleak smile before returning her attention to the doctor and policeman who stood by her side. Jack swallowed and shifted his attention to the familiar silver-white hair of his son, who was curled up on his aunt's lap colouring. He let out a breath of relief as the realisation that his family was safe hit him.

"Lucas," Jack croaked, stepping closer.

"Daddy," cried Lucas, untangling himself from his aunt's lap as he raced to greet his father. "The mean man came and he hurt Mummy."

Fighting back the tears, Jack scooped his son up and pressed him tightly to his chest. "I know, baby. I know," he sniffed.

The small boy clung tightly to his father's neck as the tears rolled down his face. The events of the morning had understandably left him terrified. Jack felt the anger surge through him. It was one thing for Pitch to target him, but for him to go after his wife and scare his son - that was inexcusable.

Holding Lucas tight, he made his way to stand beside Elsa. Leaning down, he pressed a quick to her lips and told her that he loved her. He then shifted to take a seat on the corner of the bed, taking care to avoid the side where she had been injured. Reaching down, he took Elsa's hand in his while she introduced him to the attending doctor and policeman.

He sat numbly while the policeman brought him up to speed with the events. Namely, how Pitch had managed to sneak past the security measures put in place within their gated community and how he had yet to be caught. Jack had started to ask the policeman what would happen when Pitch was caught, only to be cut off by the sound of a mobile phone ringing. Glancing down, the policeman had pulled his phone out and excused himself to take the call.

He returned a few minutes later with a bleak look on his face. "Mr and Mrs Frost, there's been a development in the case," he began.

* * *

Jack had listened as the policemen filled them in on the call he'd received. Apparently, Pitch had intended to hit Anna in order to spite Elsa and Jack, but had hit Elsa which had caused him to feel guilty. His guilt had intensified upon seeing Lucas run into the room. The small boy had heard the commotion and had run from his seat in the loungeroom and had cried for his mother. Something about the sight of Elsa's son as he burst into tears and clung to his injured mother had affected Pitch. Wracked with guilt, Pitch had written a note to explain his behaviour and had turned up at a nearby police station where he had turned the gun on himself. An ambulance had been called, but it was too late and Pitch had died by the time the paramedics had arrived.

Jack had sat in shock while clinging tightly to Lucas. The knowledge that his beloved son had not only been in the house, but that he'd been awake when his mother had been shot and had seen her injured had been the final straw. It had taken every ounce of self control for him to not burst into tears. He dearly wanted to cry, but right now his family needed him to be strong for them. Choking back a tear, he had listened as the policeman informed them that as victims of a crime they had various support groups and counselling on offer to them if they wanted the help.

The rest of the day had passed in a blur. Jack had taken his family home less than two hours after arriving at the hospital. To his relief, Kristoff had organised for the carpet in the lounge room to be cleaned and had sent his mother Bulda to supervise while the cleaning company had entered and removed all traces of blood from the carpet. The older woman had stayed on for the rest of the day and had insisted on handling all housework and cooking which had allowed the family to spend the time with each other.

Kristoff and Anna had retreated to their own room and office not long after returning home. They claimed that they wanted to give Jack, Elsa and Lucas some space. Kristoff had wandered in a few times to apologise for having left the house. The knowledge that Pitch had intended to hurt Anna had left him furious and he'd been left feeling guilty that Elsa had been hit while he was meant to be keeping watch.

Jack and Elsa had focused on trying to hold up some sort of routine in order to help Lucas to recover from the shock and fear that he had felt. The traumatised boy had been clingy and tearful all day and had refused to leave his parent's sides. He'd even called on Jack to accompany him as he bundled his favourite toys to present to his mum to cuddle.

Finally, the day had come to an end and the family sat curled up on Lucas' bed while Elsa read a story. The day's events had made it harder for them to settle the small boy and he'd been reluctant to let go of his parent's out of fear that they could be hurt. Jack and Elsa had debated whether to take him to sleep in their bed, but had decided against it when they realised that they couldn't prevent him from inadvertently pressing against Elsa's injury. As a compromise, they had agreed to sit with him until he fell asleep and had resigned themselves to dealing with their overtired son the next day.

"Daddy," Lucas's small voice croaked as he looked up at Jack. "Will the mean man come back?"

Jack looked down at his son and gulped. Taking a deep breath, he composed himself before reaching over to smooth at his son's tousled hair. "No, baby," he cried. "The mean man will never return. He can't come back."

The small boy had pondered the answer for a second before piping up with another question. "Daddy, what happens if someone else tries to hurt Mummy?" he cried.

"Baby, no matter what happens. If anyone ever tries to hurt either you or Mummy, I will always be there. I will never let anyone hurt you or Mummy. The two of you are the most important people in my life and I will always be your guardian," he vowed, reaching down to kiss his son and wife.

* * *

**A/N- This song was suggested by FrostSapphire. **


	9. Chapter 13- Dance With The Devil

**Dance With The Devil**

"_Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

_Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the devil tonight?"_

_~Dance With The Devil~ Breaking Benjamin_

Elsa smirked as she took a step back to appreciate her work.

Her eyes glanced over the male who was currently restrained, against his will, to a wooden chair. The key that would release him from the handcuffs was lying on top of her bedside table, a few feet from where she stood. If she wanted to, she could easily release him from his confines, but she didn't want to set him free, at least not yet. Not while she was having too much fun with the situation and with feeling in control of the man that she intended to marry.

She may have been modest by nature, but being with Jack had helped give her the confidence to slowly step outside her comfort zone. Their current situation was something new for them and while her cheeks were tinged with pink, she had managed to push aside her minor embarrassment in order to focus on Jack and his reaction.

The way that Jack had responded was what drove her to continue. For, she was unable to deny that there was something incredibly sexy about watching her fiance squirm. The cocky expression that had crept onto his face after she had pulled him into her room had disappeared. Instead, his expression was now one of frustration, mixed with a little bit of intrigue and an arousal that, if all went to plan, would only get stronger.

"Elsa," a low growl sounded from the slender male. "Let go of me! So help me, God, let me go," he begged.

Giggling, Elsa stepped closer. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed Jack, his eyes following her every move. Circling the chair, she came to a stop directly behind him. Leaning down, she let her mouth hover beside his ear. "Not yet. You have been a very naughty boy. You need to be punished," she whispered.

She watched as Jack's eyes widened as he turned to look at her. The cocky smirk that he'd worn only minutes earlier had reappeared. Leaning in, she gently nipped at his earlobe before playfully skipping away.

* * *

Jack groaned. He tried once again to pull against the cuffs that sat on his wrists, but it was useless. Elsa had already made a point to inform them that the handcuffs were security-issued and had been lent to her by her sister, Anna, who had swiped them from her policeman husband, Kristoff. She had then dangled the key to his release in front of him while teasing him, letting him know that she was in control.

"Remind me to thank Anna for her help," Elsa mused and turned to wink at him. "She's been most helpful."

He said nothing. His resolve to have a _very_ strong word with his future brother-in-law was strengthening. The fact that the love-struck man had left his work tools lying around the house was reckless. Especially so, when the man's mischievous wife had been able to get her hands on them and had passed them on to _his _fiancee. Jack reasoned that he was within his right to let the unassuming, law-abiding man know that his work property was being used for evil deeds.

* * *

Elsa moved across to the bedside table and hit play on the iPod dock. Within seconds the special playlist that she had created for the night began playing, helping to add to the atmosphere that she had worked so hard to create.

It had taken her a lot of planning in order to organise the evening. First, she had had organised for her parents to leave the house. Tickets to a show and a dinner in an upmarket restaurant had settled that problem. Her parents had kissed her on the cheek before leaving, thanking her for her generosity. Then, she had rushed to tidy her room and to check that the tools she needed to set the mood were as they should be. Lastly, she had hopped in the shower and had taken a long, luxurious soak before putting on her carefully selected outfit.

Upon entering her house, Jack had stared at her satin robe with a quizzical expression on his face. Saying nothing, she had simply smiled at him and had dodged out of his grasp when he had tried to pull her in for a kiss. Instead, she had turned her head to look at him from over her shoulder as she led him towards her bedroom. Willingly, he had followed her to the door of her room where she had stopped him. She had made him wait at the door while she had ducked inside to grab the handcuffs. With the cuffs in hand, she had moved quickly and had flung the door open, ordered him to put his hands out and had proceeded to slap the metal restraints onto his wrists before leading him to the chair. Once he had been tied to the chair, she had removed the robe to show him what had been concealed.

Her outfit was simple, yet sexy. She had opted for a navy-blue chemise with a low back and sheer silver lace detailing over the breasts and lower back. She had worn her hair down, allowing her long platinum-blonde tresses to cascade down her back. Even her nails had received special treatment and had been painted a royal blue colour with silver tips. The final part of the look had been a pair of silver stilettos which served no purpose other than making her legs look longer and helping to further enhance Jack's visual pleasure.

This evening was for Jack. It was the last time that they would have to be alone together. Starting tomorrow, their friends and family from out of town would arrive and the crazy hive of activity would begin. The next eight days, she had been warned, would pass in no time. All counting down until she stood before him and said farewell to Elsa Andersen to make way for Elsa Frost.

With the excitement that would be surrounding them, she would not have a lot of time to be alone with Jack until their honeymoon. Therefore, she had decided that tonight belonged to Jack. She wanted the time to show him how much she cared and to lather him with love and attention.

* * *

Jack watched as Elsa danced, turning her body in slow, controlled movements in time to the sensual song that was playing. Her manicured hand moved to slowly tug at the thin material of her nightgown and she had lifted it slightly to tease him. His eyes trailled up and down her long, slender legs as she lowered herself and began to take the silver heels off her feet.

Tossing the shoes aside, she lowered herself onto all fours and turned to face him. His eyes were immediately drawn to the great view of her pert breasts which were threatening to spill out of the top of her outfit. Slowly, she began to crawl towards him. Grinning, he looked at her, not failing to notice the faint trace of blush that dotted her cheeks. This behaviour was so unexpected. Elsa was normally reserved and modest, yet here she was trying something new, letting go of her inhibitions in order to spoil him. He didn't know what exactly she had planned for him, but he knew that she had his full attention.

* * *

Elsa crawled, slowly and sensually towards Jack. Any embarrassment she felt had disappeared when she caught sight of Jack and the dopey grin on his face. Dipping low, she resisted the urge to pull at her chemise and had focused her gaze on Jack. She watched as his eyes flicked between the bulge in his pants and her breasts, which were currently threatening to make their escape from the flimsy material that covered them.

She pulled herself to a kneeling position in front of Jack. Cocking her head, she blinked at him. "Mind if I take a seat?" she purred.

A low grunt escaped from Jack's lips. Smirking, she brought herself to a standing position and moved so that she was hovering over his legs.

"I'll take that as a yes," she sassed, before settling herself onto his lap.

Scooping her hair in her hands, she positioned herself so that one of Jack's knees fell between her legs. She began to move slowly, grinding herself against him. The sound of his heavy, laboured breathing and the bulge that was pressing against his pants told her that her efforts were being appreciated. She continued to move on him for a few more minutes until she decided to move forward with her plan. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet which earned her a disapproving grunt from Jack.

"Get back here," Jack hissed.

"Jack, I've only just started my show," she moaned, slowly stepping backwards. "Don't you want to see the whole…oomph,"

She groaned as her foot got caught on the stiletto that she had stupidly left lying on the floor. Within seconds, she had fallen and had landed in a rather unsexy heap on the ground.

Blushing, she buried her head in her hands. "That wasn't part of the show," she squeaked.

Jack chuckled. "Elsa, set me free. I think I need to take care of you. We can't have you getting hurt before the wedding," he murmured.

Sheepishly, she grabbed the handcuff key from the bedside table and moved towards Jack. Keeping her head down, she turned the key and released him from the chair. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, not yet. She was too embarrassed by the fact that her attempt at being sexy for him had failed miserably.

* * *

As soon as his hands were freed, Jack pounced. He scooped Elsa into his arms and carried her bridal style to place her on her bed. He tugged at his shirt, removing it and tossing it to the floor. His pants and boxers were the last to go as he pushed them to rest on the floor before stepping out of them.

Smirking, he moved to the bed and climbed on to hover above Elsa. Her blue eyes stared at him in anticipation of his next move. Her cheeks still showed the lightest shade of blush which he knew had come from her fall.

Leaning down, he pressed a series of kisses to her chest. He nipped and sucked at her collarbone while his fingers worked to free her from the confines of her nightie.

Once the flimsy garment had been removed, he pulled back. His eyes shifted from the soft material in his hand and the goddess that lay beneath him, "This thing is completely unnecessary," he drawled.

He tossed the nightie to the side and leaned down. His lips captured Elsa's in a long, lingering kiss. He concentrated his effort of putting all his emotions, all the love he felt for her into that kiss. He wanted her to know how much she meant to him and that her efforts had been appreciated.

Breaking the kiss, he moved his hand to position himself at her entrance. He felt her arms move to wrap around his neck and smirked. "Now, Miss Andersen, you have been a very naughty girl," he began. "I am going to take great pleasure in punishing you."


	10. Chapter 14- Kiss Me Slowly

**Kiss Me Slowly**

"_She stood by as it fell apart,_

_Separate rooms and broken hearts,_

_But I won't be the one to let you go._

_Oh, I'm not sure what this is gonna be,_

_But with my eyes closed all I see_

_Is the skyline, through the window,_

_The moon above you and the streets below._

_Hold my breath as you're moving in,_

_Taste your lips and feel your skin._

_When the time comes, baby don't run, just kiss me slowly."_

_~Parachute~ Kiss Me Slowly~_

Elsa sat perched on the hood of Jack's 2004 Ford Escape and tried to ignore the nerves that had settled in her stomach. Her backpack lay abandoned at her feet along with the novel that had failed to hold her interest. She had planned to pass the time while Jack was in detention by studying, however, the weight on her mind had proven too heavy and Shakespeare just couldn't compete.

"Hey, baby," a smooth voice drawled.

Looking up, Elsa found herself staring into the deep blue eyes of Jack Frost, her boyfriend of two years, as he approached her. Dropping his gaze, she allowed herself to look over him. Her eyes traced his body from his sneakers with the too-long laces, the hoodie that she loved to steal and curl up in and to the backpack that was dangling lazily from one shoulder. Shaking her head, she shifted her attention to his tousled silver-white hair and the lopsided grin that he always wore. He looked suspiciously happy for someone who had just endured his second detention in as many days.

'_That's because you haven't had a chance to ruin his life yet,'_ she thought.

Groaning, Elsa pushed the thought from her head and directed her attention back to Jack. It was bad enough that she had spent the last twenty-four hours with the guilt of knowing she would be breaking his heart. For the time being, she just wanted to enjoy her last few hours with him. It may have been selfish, but she wanted these last few moments with him. She needed to feel his arms around her as they held her tight and to share in the kisses that she loved so much before she had to ruin his life.

She watched as he tossed his backpack to rest on the ground beside hers before opening his arms and inviting her in. Forcing a smile, she pushed herself off of his car and walked the few steps to meet him. She choked back a small sniff as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He reacted instantly, pulling her close to him and pressing her against his firm chest. She let out a content sigh before dropping her head to rest on his shoulder. The scent of his favourite deodorant combined with his natural scent filled her senses. She gulped, everything about him was so perfect even these small moments filled her with a warmth unlike anything she'd ever known. They stood in silence just holding onto each other.

After a while, she felt Jack's hand move from its resting place on her back to softly cup her chin. Tilting her head up, his eyes connected with hers briefly before he closed them and pressed a kiss to her lips. Tightening her grip, she pulled herself closer to him. She could feel Jack lightly tracing his fingers up and down her spine and shivered. She could feel herself melting under his touch.

Breaking the kiss, she rested her head against his chest and sighed. "I see they finally let you out," she murmured.

Jack's chest shook underneath her as he let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, apparently being ridiculously good looking has it's benefits," he smirked. "Still, thirty minutes of boredom was worth it to see the look on Weselton's face when I called him Weaselton."

Elsa groaned and stepped out from his grip."Come on," she muttered. "Lets go to your house. I've only got two hours until my parents will expect me home and we need to talk."

* * *

The drive to Jack's home was unnaturally quiet. She'd tried to shake her nerves by staring out the window and tapping her fingers, but to no avail. Instead, her anxiety had only continued to increase as they neared the small red-brick home. The silence had been broken a few times by Jack who had tried to crack a few jokes in an attempt to cheer her up. She knew that he was now worried for her. She had caught him looking at her a few times with a frown on his face and she knew he was now concerned. Frustrated, he'd turned the radio on and had started to hum along to the song stopping occasionally to reach down and give her leg a reassuring squeeze.

Elsa felt her spirit start to soar briefly as Jack pulled his car into the driveway of his home. She'd always loved going to the Frost home, it was a lot smaller than her own one, but what it lacked up for in size it more than made up for with warmth. The modest home and the family who lived there had always made her feel relaxed and welcome. Jack's mother, Caroline, was a stay-at-home mum who treated Elsa like one of her own. His nine-year-old sister, Emily, idolised her and would try and spend as much time as possible in her presence until Jack grew jealous and shooed her away.

Walking inside the home, she was greeted by the scent of freshly baked cookies. Leaning down, she gripped onto Jack's hand as he raised his voice to announce their arrival. She spotted a blur of brown hair as Emily leapt from her spot on the couch and ran to fling her arms around Elsa's waist. Grinning, she released her grip on Jack's hand and leant down to return Emily's hug. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Jack pull a face at the loss of contact and poked her tongue out at him.

"Jack, Elsa, hi," Caroline Frost called and poked her head out from the kitchen. "You're just in time. I've got a batch of peppermint choc-chip cookies here that have cooled and are in need of being eaten."

Elsa smiled at her and looked down at Emily who was grinning up at her.

"Come on, Elsa, lets go," Emily called tugging at Elsa's hand. "I helped bake the cookies. Mum let me smash the peppermints up"

* * *

Jack chuckled as he watched Elsa be dragged along by his sister. Digging into his pocket he pulled out the crumpled detention slip and followed his girlfriend into the kitchen.

"Mum, you need to sign this," he mumbled, before passing the paper into his mum's hands.

Looking up he could see the familiar frown appearing on his mum's face as she read the details of his detention. "Jackson," she warned. "Haven't I told you to watch your mouth? I swear that you're sending me grey at an alarmingly fast rate. Keep it up and I will have to start charging you for the cost of my hair dye."

Grinning, he ran a hand through his own silver- white hair. "Honestly, Mum, don't you know grey hair is sexy? The chicks dig it," he smirked, turning to wink at Elsa.

He stifled a laugh as he watched Elsa roll her eyes at his comment. Smirking, he reached into the cupboard and pulled out a plate. He set the plate on the bench and loaded a few cookies onto the plate before moving to grab a can of coke from the fridge for him and Elsa. He turned to Elsa and beckoned for her to follow him to his bedroom.

He watched as Elsa excused herself and moved to join him. He couldn't help feel a sense of relief when Emily made no attempt to follow them. His younger sister loved Elsa almost as much as he did and was guilty of latching onto her a bit too much when she visited. As much as Jack loved his sister, there were times when he needed to be left alone with Elsa and today was one of those days.

He'd not failed to notice that something was playing on Elsa's mind. All day she'd seemed somewhat distracted and it worried him. The way she'd spoken to him before they left school had hinted that whatever was keeping her mind occupied would affect him and that scared him. He was trying to appear normal and relaxed in the hope that it would make it easier for Elsa, but internally he was a mess.

He felt a body brush past him. Glancing up, he watched as Elsa overtook him before reaching out to swipe a cookie from the plate. He watched as she paused at the entrance of his room to smile coquettishly at him before she disappeared inside.

Grinning, he followed her into his room. He kicked his foot back to shut the door behind him before moving to place the cookies and cokes on his bedside table. Taking a seat on his bed, he reached out to grip Elsa's hand and pulled her towards him so that she was standing between his legs. Once he'd got her where he wanted, he made his move and used his spare hand to grip her chin. He paused briefly to look into her eyes before tilting her chin down and pressing a kiss to her lips.

Breaking the kiss, he looked at her and noted the way her eyes had softened. "What say we find a way to burn off the calories that we are about to shamelessly consume?" he drawled, as he lightly trailed his hand up and down her thigh.

He felt Elsa shift position as she stepped back. Without warning, she pulled herself out of his grip and looked down at the ground. He could feel a lump form in his throat and swallowed.

"Jack," she cried hoarsely. "I need to tell you something."

Jack felt like he had been hit. His thoughts began to race as a million different possibilities entered his mind. _What is it? Is she breaking up with me? Is she sick? Oh god please don't let her be sick. Are her parents putting pressure on her to break up with me? She's not moving is she?'_

Reaching for her hand, he gently tugged it and pulled her to sit down beside him. "El, what is it? You're scaring me," his voice croaked. "Please, just tell me what is wrong. If it's something I've done then please let me try and make it better."

* * *

Elsa sobbed and fell back to lie on Jack's mattress, pulling him to lie beside her. She reached down to grip at his hand while the tears fell from her eyes.

She'd never thought she could love someone so much until he'd walked into her life and stole her heart. The past two years with him had been the happiest time of her life. Jack was special he made her feel loved and cherished. It was because of him that she felt like she was more than just a pretty little rich girl. He had shown her that she was capable of being loved for who she was and not just appreciated for her looks and the wealth that she would inherit. He was her rock and had remained by her side despite the pressure they were under from those who disapproved of their union.

They both knew that her parents did not approve of their relationship. Her father had made it quite clear on several occasions that he thought Elsa could do better. In his eyes, Jack was nothing but a smart-mouthed and cheeky youth from the wrong side of town and not someone suitable for his little princess.

Her father had tried to encourage her to break up with Jack. Over the course of their two year relationship he'd tried to set her up with young men whom he felt were more appropriate for his heiress daughter. He'd arranged meetings with youths like Charles Jacobsen, heir to the Royalty hotel chain, and had expressed outrage when Elsa had found a way to cut short the date or had organised for Jack to follow her in order to ease her mind. When the forced dates hadn't worked, he had opted for other methods. He'd even turned to Elsa's elite private school where he'd tried to use his wealth and influence to get them to cut Jack's basketball scholarship which would see him sent back to public school. Walt Andersen had a clear idea of the sort of man that Elsa should date and that man was not Jack Frost.

She had tried, over the years, to get her parents to accept Jack. She'd invited her parents to meet with Jack and his family in the hopes that they would fall in love with them just like she had. She had also made a point to tell them how Jack was much more than the fun-loving, cheeky and at times, smart- mouthed youth that they saw. She knew him to be kind, caring, loving, genuine and with strong family values. She also knew that over the course of their relationship he'd always treated her with respect and had never pressured her to do anything that she didn't want to. He'd always made her feel safe, secure and like she was a queen. He truly was perfect to her and she'd tried to express her feelings for him and all of his positive treats to her parents, but to no avail.

Not that it would matter now, she was left with no choice but to tell him the news that would ruin his life before telling her parents and his mum. She had a feeling, in the back of her mind, that Jack would be okay with the news. She knew he'd be shocked which was to be expected. After all, she had been surprised when she'd learned of the news. Still, despite the logical side of her that knew he'd be okay, she couldn't shake the fear of rejection.

"El," Jack's voiced whispered. "Please, baby, just tell me."

She felt her breath hitch at the term of endearment he had used. She knew that he had no idea and he used the term on a daily basis, but it had only served to make her feel guilty whenever he'd said it during the day. His hand reached over to squeeze hers, as he stroked his thumb over the back of her hand.

She let out a loud sigh before rolling over to look at him. A frown had crossed his handsome face as he looked at her. She choked back a tear before collapsing to lie on her back where she couldn't see his face.

She took a deep breath and dropped her grip on his hand. "Jack, I'm pregnant," she blurted.

The room fell silent as she let go of the news that had haunted her for twenty-four hours. It was the first time she'd said it outloud and somehow it made it feel more real. She was pregnant, at seventeen. She'd ruined her life and Jack's and all because she'd been stupid enough to take medication that had interfered with her contraceptive pill. Beside her, she felt Jack go silent. He was mad she knew it.

Rolling over, she reached to bury her head into his pillow and burst into tears. She felt her body shake as the emotions that she'd held onto all day poured out of her.

* * *

Jack paused as the impact of Elsa's words hit him like a truck. He could feel her small body trembling beside him while she sobbed.

Suddenly, her behaviour made sense. She had appeared distant, like she was deep in thought, all day and now he knew why. It also explained the remorseful looks she had been giving him all day, the same ones that had led him to believe he was about to have his heartbroken.

He knew that she'd gone to the doctor's the night before. She'd made a point to drive to school, so that she could leave for her appointment instead of accepting a lift to school and the clinic with him. He'd offered to drive her, but she'd told him not to worry and so he'd shrugged it off. Then, when he'd rung her later that evening, she had been distracted. He'd tried to enquire about her appointment, but she'd excused herself to take a bath. He groaned, if he knew that she suspected she was pregnant then he'd have insisted he went with her.

Sighing, he shifted himself so that he was sitting with his back against his headboard before pulling Elsa to rest in his arms. Her pale face was streaked with tears and she was still refusing to give him eye contact. He reached over to his bedside table and pulled a few tissues from the box beside the lamp. Gently, he reached around and dabbed at her tears.

"Baby, it's going to be okay," he vowed. " We'll get through this don't worry. We've got each other,"

"How, Jack? We're only 17. We're still in school. I'm expected to go to university and work for my parent's company and now they are going to kill me," she cried.

Jack paused. He knew that Elsa was under a lot of pressure from her parents to be perfect. He also knew that her becoming a teen mother would not fall under Walt and Lillian Andersen's idea of perfect, especially not when the baby's teenaged father was him.

"Elsa, I admit, this is a shock and definitely not something we planned, but I don't regret it either. I mean, we love each other and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and to have a family with you. It's just seems that we're starting that family a bit earlier than expected," he stated honestly.

He watched as her tear-filled eyes turned to look at him and the smallest hint of a smile formed on her face. He sighed and tightened his grip on her before reaching to stroke at her hair. He wished that he knew the right words to say to make her feel better. It broke his heart to think of how she'd likely spent the last few hours filled with fear of rejection from him.

He couldn't blame her for fearing the worst. After all, it seemed that news of teen girls falling pregnant and being denied by the baby's father was an all too common situation. However, he could never deny her, or their child. He loved Elsa with all his heart and somehow the news that she was now carrying his child, their child, made her even more beautiful and perfect. Finding out that she was pregnant with his child was a shock, but they would make it work.

He felt her body stop shaking as the last of the tears rolled down her perfect face. Looking down, he noted how her fingers had curled around the fabric of his jumper and smiled. He wondered if she might be receptive to him trying to cheer her up now.

"You know," he began. "This baby is going to be the best looking child ever. Especially with the combination of our good looks," he boasted.

He looked down at Elsa and felt his spirit soar when the smallest hint of a smile graced her face. He felt her move her arm to lightly punch him before she let out a soft chuckle. Smirking, he leaned down to press a quick kiss on her forehead.

* * *

Elsa could feel her tears subsiding as she pulled back to look at Jack. Looking up, her eyes fell onto his mouth as he hovered above her and she felt the first real smile to have crossed her face in the last 24 hours.

Once again he'd proven himself to be truly perfect. He'd reacted to the news even better than she had when the doctor had told her she was pregnant. Instead of rejecting her, he'd simply reached to pull her into his strong arms and had held her tight. He'd continued to speak in a calming tone to her as he vowed to stand by her before reminding her that he loved her and wanted to be with her forever.

"Do you think we can tell your mum first?" she asked, reaching to stroke his hair. "I have a feeling that she will take to the news a little bit better than my parents will."

"Mmm, probably a good idea," Jack agreed. "We probably should go see her now, especially since I've got to get you home in another forty-five minutes. Last thing we need is for me to get you home late and give your parents yet another reason to hate me."

Grinning, she got to her feet and took Jack's hand. Together, they walked down the stairs and into the lounge room where Caroline Frost was curled up with Emily. Biting her lip, she waited patiently while Jack called for his mum to join them. She watched as Emily leapt to her feet to join them, only to be stopped by Jack, who held his hand out and told her to stay put.

She followed Jack into the kitchen where he pulled out a seat and beckoned for her to sit. He then went and put the kettle on to make them all a cup of tea. Once the tea had been made, he took his seat beside her and took her hand. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Until Caroline had grown frustrated and had spoken up, telling them to explain themselves.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to tell Caroline only to be cut off by Jack. Instead, he gripped her hand in his and announced to his mother that she was pregnant with his child. After announcing the news, he dropped his grip on her hand and draped his arms around her shoulders. Elsa leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the wrath of Caroline, who had just discovered that her teen son was an expectant father.

Caroline's reaction, however, had shocked her. Instead of yelling, she jumped to her feet and pulled both teens into a firm hug before pressing a kiss to both Jack and Elsa's foreheads. After she had sat down again, she had let them know that while she was shocked, she would support them and their baby. Her gaze had settled on Elsa as she reached to take her hand before telling her that she would be okay.

* * *

Caroline had then taken matters into her own hands and had demanded that Elsa stay for dinner. She claimed that they could use the time to gather their thoughts before the three of them went and faced Elsa's parents. She'd even taken charge of calling Walt Andersen to let him know that Elsa would be staying for dinner and that she would be home by 7:30pm

Elsa had watched as she had hung up the phone before she'd turned to fire off a series of questions. Taking a deep breath, Elsa had let her know how she was ten weeks pregnant and the baby was due to arrive a week before her and Jack graduated. To her relief, Caroline had continued to nod and show support, even offering to help cover the cost of any supplements that she may need to take. The ease with which Caroline had taken the situation was helping her to feel slightly more relaxed. At least, it appeared that the baby would have one grandparent who would support it.

Dinner had been a quiet affair with Emily sensing something was up, but refraining from asking. Together, they had tried to ease the mood by asking the younger girl about her day at school.

After finishing dinner, they had bundled into the Frost's station wagon to head to her home. She had huddled up to Jack in the back seat and had tried to psych herself up for telling her parents, but it was no use. Instead, she had settled for resting her head on his shoulder. He had said nothing and had simply stroked at her hair.

* * *

As expected, telling Elsa's parents had been downright terrifying. Elsa and the Frost's had walked in to find her parents seated in the lounge room.

She had felt her confidence waning as her father leapt from his seat and glared at Jack whose arms were wound tightly around her waist. She'd caught sight of Anna who poked her head in the lounge room before fleeing after she noticed the tense look on her parents' and sister's faces. To her relief, Caroline Frost had been quick to act and had sent Emily to follow Anna upstairs.

Taking a deep breath, she'd tried to say the words only to have her confidence falter under the harsh glare on her father's face. Finally, after her third failed attempt at saying the words she'd given up. Instead, Jack had tightened his grip on her and had looked her father in his eyes before telling him that they were expecting a baby.

To say Walt Andersen had been furious would be an understatement. He'd held nothing back as he yelled at Elsa. He'd accused her of bringing shame to their family before changing his tune and demanding she had an abortion before news got around. Elsa had cried out in shock and had stated that it had already been decided that they would be keeping the baby. A furious Walt had then shifted his focus to Jack and had called him all sorts of names before demanding him to leave Elsa alone. Elsa had felt the tears forming in her eyes once again before turning to bury her head in the crook of Jack's neck.

She'd been about to turn and try and reason with her father when she'd been cut off. An enraged Caroline Frost had stepped forward to defend her son and his girlfriend. Elsa had stood by and listened while she pointed out that she had also been shocked by the news, but she felt that the teens needed support and not scorn. She'd stood her ground and had stated that the Andersen's needed time to get used to the news and that she'd decided Elsa would be spending the weekend at the Frost home. She claimed that it would give all of them the chance to take in the news while providing the least amount of the stress for the unborn baby.

She'd watched as her father's face had contorted in anger. He wasn't used to having someone speak so boldly to him. Turning, she'd buried her head against Jack's neck while he'd stroked her hair. She could hear her father muttering about how he'd tried to 'warn her' and how she'd been stupid to let Jack charm her. She'd felt her father's hand reach to grip her shoulder and try to pull her away, but Jack had held on tight and had lowered his mouth to whisper in her ear.

Finally, after a few more minutes of muttering he'd relented. Elsa had felt her father's grip on her loosen and he'd stepped back before telling her to go. She'd taken hold of Jack's hand and dragged him upstairs to pack her overnight bag.

She'd left her bag with Jack and his mum while she made her way to bid her farewell to her parents. However, the angry voice of her father as he ranted to her mother deterred her. He was still cursing her and Jack, claiming that she had ruined her life to have a delinquent's bastard child.

Sighing, she'd turned to wave at Anna, who had sat perched at the top of the stairs before heading back into Jack's open arms as he'd escorted her to the car.

* * *

Jack sighed and pulled Elsa to press against his chest.

He could feel her relaxing under his touch and smiled. Leaning down, he buried his head against the crook of her neck and applied a series of kisses to the sensitive skin. He heard her let out a soft moan as she shifted her head to give him better access. Her hand reached up to grip his as she pulled it and placed it on her stomach. He paused, lifting his head he caught her gaze and saw the hint of a smile as he splayed his fingers over the spot where their baby was growing.

He knew that their lives had been thrown into upheaval. The last few hours still felt so surreal to him. So many of their future plans would have to be altered in order to accommodate the baby. His mum had spent the better part of the evening writing up a to-do list of all the things she felt needed to happen. Top of her list was convincing Elsa's parents to allow her to move in with them full-time so that she could ensure her future grandchild and its mother were being taken care of. He'd also been told to arrange meetings with the school counsellor so that they could figure out the best way to continue with their education.

Still, despite the path that their lives had decided to follow, he couldn't deny that he was excited for the baby. They may not have planned to have a baby so early, but they were and he was determined to be there for his family. After all, nothing could be more perfect than having Elsa and their baby in his life.

* * *

**A/N- Thanks to Mik012 for the song suggestion. A bit of irony for you. As I started to write this, the song, knowing that I was going to go with the teen pregnancy/ less than supportive family subject. The song 'Papa Don't Preach' by Madonna (about a teen pregnancy) came over the radio. I kid you not :)**


	11. Chapter 15-Birthday Sex

**Birthday Sex**

"_Girl you know I-I-I_

_Don't need candles or cake_

_just need your body to make_

_Birthday sex"_

_~Jeremiah~ Birthday Sex_

Elsa groaned as the all too familiar sound of her phone beeping woke her from her sleep.

She didn't have to read the text to know what it said or who it was from. The message was the same damn text that she had received every day for the last two weeks and was sent to her from her loving fiance. Rolling over, she grabbed the phone. Her fingers swiped at the screen in an attempt to put a stop to the incessant beeping. Instinctively, her eyes trailled down to view the message.

"_Just your daily reminder that there are only 3 more days my birthday. You know what that means? Birthday sex xoxo" -J_

Sighing, she placed the phone back on the bedside table. Her attention shifted to the sender, who was currently lying completely still with his back to her in a lame attempt at pretending that he was asleep. She flopped back against the mattress before turning to her side. She knew that Jack was wide awake and eagerly anticipating her response to his text. She also knew that her decision to ignore the message was driving him crazy. He thrived on the response and for that reason alone, she had decided to not give him one. Closing her eyes, she waited for him to make his move. Sure enough, less than a minute later he'd wrapped his arms around her waist and had pulled her to lie flat against his bare chest.

"Hey, baby," Jack purred, leaning over so his mouth rested inches above her ear. "I see you ignored my text message. I'll just remind you that there are only 3 more days to my birthday, and that means birthday sex."

Elsa let out an exasperated groan and pulled herself from his grip. Turning to face him, she noticed the wide grin on his face as he shook with laughter. Rolling her eyes, she picked up her plush pillow and whacked him with it.

She should have been used to his shenanigans by now. After all, he was hardly original.

Every year, her fun-loving, prankster fiance would follow the same routine and would use the two weeks leading up to his birthday to repeat the lyrics of the song 'Birthday Sex' to her. He relied on multiple forms of communication and would use any available method to get the message across. The fact that his actions would cause her to feel embarrassed seemed to be an added bonus for him.

This year he'd really upped the ante, claiming that his impending 21st was a momentous occasion and deserved an extra special celebration. As such, he'd exhausted every opportunity to remind Elsa of his desires, blissfully unaware of the surprise that Elsa had in store for him.

* * *

_It had all started three months ago, when Jack's mum, Caroline, had called wanting to discuss plans for his special day. Elsa had taken the phone into the kitchen in order to finish their discussion. Not to be deterred, Jack had poked his head into the room and had loudly boasted about how, 'birthday's always meant birthday sex' before being shooed from the room. Caroline, having overheard the exchange, had then piped up in order to ask for an explanation behind Jack's behaviour. Shaking her head, Elsa had then been left with no choice, but to tell her future mother-in-law about Jack's annual joke and had expressed her desire to get him back one day. _

_Caroline had laughed, well aware of her son's fun-loving, albeit cheeky, personality. After a moment's silence, she had spoken. Raising her voice, she had stated that the time for payback had arrived._

* * *

Elsa smiled, remembering that Jack's mum would be flying in today and so phase one of their prank would begin. She cast a glance at her fiance, who had his head bent over his phone, as he proceeded to send another text. A few seconds later the new message alert sounded on the phone which earned a loud chuckle from her fiance. She couldn't help feeling a sense of satisfaction in knowing that while he continued with his regular pranks, he remained blissfully unaware of the payback that was headed his way. Together, Caroline and Elsa had managed to devise a practical joke that, if successful, would be the biggest practical joke she had ever pulled. She only hoped that she could keep up her side of the plan.

First she needed to shower. If there was one thing that she had learned from Jack, it was that the key to pulling off a good prank was in the prankster's ability to carry on behaving normally. That meant Elsa had to get ready for the day and react to Jack's jokes as normal. Clearing her throat, she excused herself and let Jack know that she was heading for the shower. She watched as Jack gave her an innocent smile before directing his attention back to his phone. Sighing, she made her way towards the bathroom - she knew that there would be at least two new texts waiting for her when she stepped out of the shower.

* * *

They arrived at the airport just in time to meet Caroline and Emily Frost's flight. After greeting their guests at the gate, they made their way toward the luggage carousel. Caroline had gently prodded Emily, who had leapt into action and had pulled Jack with her to race ahead which left Elsa and Caroline to pick up the rear. Elsa had given Caroline a quick run-down on their respective roles in bringing the plan into fruition.

Pulling out of the airport carpark, Emily had raised her voice and had requested to listen to music after claiming that a silent car was a boring car. Nodding, Elsa had piped up to inform Caroline that Jack always had a CD loaded in the stereo and that pressing play should be enough to get the music pumping. Caroline had fumbled with the dial for a split second before the sound of a song could be heard coming from the speakers After a few lyrics had been sung, Caroline had turned to let out a loud gasp at the boldness of Jeremiah's song 'Birthday Sex' played.

"Oh my," Caroline gasped, blushing at the songs lyrics. "Well this man is definitely forward."

Stifling a laugh, Elsa had watched as Jack rushed to press the skip button. His face continued to blush as a number of sexually-suggestive songs played.

"Jackson, all these songs seem to be about sexual intercourse." Caroline scolded, "Do you really think this is appropriate music for your sister to be hearing? She's only thirteen."

"Sorry, Mum, should have checked the cd first," he mumbled.

Elsa watched as Jack ejected the CD and cursed upon reading the title. Unbeknownst to him, she had slipped into the car earlier that morning in order to swap the disc that he had kept in there with the disc full of risque songs. Every single song on the album had undeniable sexual references and Jack found great pleasure in singing along with the lyrics while staring at Elsa. He claimed it was cute when Elsa's modesty got the better of her and caused her to blush.

Once home, Elsa had sent Jack to haul his mother and sister's suitcases to the guest room where they would be staying. Emily had leapt from the car and had run straight inside to greet Elsa's sister, Anna, and her partner, Kristoff, who were enjoying a late breakfast.

"Phase one was officially a success," Elsa grinned, slipping into the guestroom where Caroline was busy unpacking.

Caroline laughed. "My poor son. Remind me when this is all over to tell him that the music Emily listens to is far worse than anything I heard on that disc," she grinned, stealing a high-five from Elsa.

* * *

The rest of the days had passed in a blur with Jack continuing to remind Elsa of his approaching birthday and his desire. The presence of his mum and sister had done little to dampen his enthusiasm for teasing Elsa. On the contrary, it appeared that their visit had created the opportunity for more fun and he'd eagerly sneak up behind Elsa to grab her and whisper the lyrics in her ear while she sat deep in conversation with his mum. He'd then pull back and smirk as he noticed the familiar trace of blush on her face as she struggled to maintain her composure in front of Caroline.

* * *

Finally, Jack's birthday arrived. Elsa woke early and excused herself from their bedroom before he could wake and beg her for sex. She'd only just made her coffee when her phone beeped. Groaning, she put the cup down and picked up the phone.

'_Hey babe, it's my birthday. You know that means. I get to save the best present for last, right? Birthday sex ;)'~ J_

"I take it my son's awake," laughed Caroline as she entered the kitchen and helped herself to a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, he's awake. I'm sure he'll be down any minute," Elsa replied, placing the phone back on the table. "He's got a whole day to remind me of his desires."

"Oh, Jackson, just you wait, the prankster will become the pranked," Caroline quipped, a devious smile appearing on her face.

Less than ten minutes later Jack had run into the kitchen with a grin on his face. He stopped briefly to accept a hug from Caroline before wrapping his arms around Elsa and stealing a kiss.

"Don't forget, tonight I get an extra special present, Elsa," Jack teased, watching as Elsa's face flushed red. "It is my birthday after all."

* * *

Their day passed quickly. After an intimate family lunch, they went to a movie where the darkened cinema provided Jack with ample opportunity to tease Elsa. Placing a hand on her thigh, he slowly inched higher until his hand had slipped under her skirt. Elsa had tried to stop him by slapping at his hand, but to no avail and he'd simply turned to smirk at her. Not to be outdone, Elsa had leaned over to whisper in Caroline's ear before getting up and switching seats with her. She had watched with satisfaction as Jack's smug smirk had turned into a pout.

* * *

Jack's eyes widened as he turned to admire the sight of Elsa. His fiancee was a stunningly beautiful woman, that was undeniable and yet tonight she had managed to look even more incredible. His eyes glanced over her as she walked back to their table in the restaurant and he noted, with approval, the way her black dress hugged every curve of her slender body, seemingly accentuating her cleavage and long legs. His eyes glanced at the silver shawl that she had draped around her shoulders which reminded him of a ribbon on a present and he smirked. He already knew that at the end of the night, she was the gift he was most excited to unwrap.

* * *

Dinner had been a pleasant affair with a small group of Jack's closest friends joining them at his favourite restaurant. Elsa had waited for the last of the dinner plates to be cleared away, before she signalled for the waiters to bring the cake that she had organised out. She turned to smile at Caroline who nodded and pulled her camera out in preparation.

A few moments later the staff had carried the cake out with the candles already lit. She moved to stand beside Jack, holding his hand, while their friends and family gathered to sing 'Happy Birthday.' She watched as Jack furrowed his brows, trying to read the message that had been written on the cake. Smirking, she raised her head to share a glance with their friends. She had rung their invited guests earlier in the week to inform them of the prank and ask that they played along. All of them had fallen victim to one of Jack's pranks at some stage and had been only too happy to help her out.

* * *

Jack waited patiently for his friends to finish singing, before leaning down to blow the candles out. It was only when he'd blown the last of the candles out that he was able to read the message that Elsa had organised to be written on the cake. His eyes widened as he read the message.

"Elsa!" he gasped, stealing a glimpse at his fiancee.

As if on cue, his mother leaned in to snap a photo of him with his cake, causing him to feel temporarily blinded from the camera flash. Blinking, he focused his gaze on Elsa as he waited for her to offer up an explanation behind her peculiar choice of message.

"Happy birthday, Jack, your wish is my demand?" questioned Anna, as she leant over his shoulder to read. "What does that even mean?"

Jack frowned and turned to face Elsa, cocking his head as he waited her response.

"Oh, it's silly," Elsa began, stepping closer to squeeze his hand. "Every year Jack has the same wish - he wants birthday sex. He goes through a lot of effort in order to remind me of his desires. He's not had his special present yet. I'm just letting him know that he will get it, later."

Jack could feel the heat rising in his cheeks as his friends turned to face him, giving him knowing winks and cat calls. He'd hoped that the message would refer to him getting to make love to Elsa later that evening, but he sure as hell hadn't expected her to actually voice it out loud. She was normally so reserved when it came to discussing sex. The fact that she hadn't even flinched when she had answered Anna's question was definitely odd.

* * *

Elsa let out loud laugh as she flicked through the display screen on Caroline's camera. The older woman had managed to get a few good photo's of Jack, taken at the exact moment when he had noticed the message on his cake and another of his reddened face when Anna had asked what it meant. She made a mental note to thank Anna for her brilliant acting later. Looking up, she glanced at Jack and smiled. He had been staring at her for most of the evening with a curious expression on his face. She knew he was confused by her behaviour which suggested to her that the prank was coming along nicely.

* * *

Jack couldn't help but stare at Elsa. Something had gotten into her and he wanted to know what. All evening she had been increasingly flirtatious and hadn't shied away from public displays of affection. She had started small with just a few quick kisses during dinner before she'd moved her hand down to rub his thigh under the table. Then, she had held nothing back when she hinted at their sex life and had shown no signs of being embarrassed when their friends made references to their sex life. Now, as they sat in the back of Kristoff's SUV, she was practically groping him with her lips kissing and sucking at his neck while her hand tried to slide down the front of his pants. The fact that their family were sitting in close proximity seemed to do little to dampen her amorous mood.

Arriving home, Anna, Kristoff and Emily had wasted no time in leaping out of the car and rushing indoors. Anna and Emily had claimed the need to curl up in Anna's room and watch a DVD was calling them. Kristoff, on the other-hand, had stated that his dog, Sven, needed to go for a walk before it got too late. His mother had stopped to help him and Elsa to carry his presents and the leftover cake inside before excusing herself to make a cup of tea.

* * *

Elsa waited for Jack to put the last of his presents on the floor, before she set the last part of the plan into motion. Once he'd straightened up, she pounced, hungrily pushing him against

the wall and placing kisses against his lips and neck. She could feel his body stiffen with surprise at her boldness, but he didn't deny her. Instead, he had reached out to pull her closer as he leaned in to deepen the kiss

She let their heavy make out session continue for a few more seconds before she pulled back to look at him. She could sense that he was still surprised by her uncharacteristic behaviour, but the bulge in his pants and the lop-sided grin on his face told her that he was also enjoying it. She waited a few seconds for him to catch his breath, before stepping out of his grip and pulling him with her into the lounge room.

She could feel Jack's eyes on her as he waited for her to continue. Smirking, she pushed him to sit on the couch. Flashing her best seductive smile, she hitched her dress up and climbed onto Jack's lap. Leaning down, she pressed a kiss on his his lips while her fingers worked to unbutton his shirt.

* * *

Jack moaned. He didn't know what had gotten into Elsa this particular evening, but with her sitting on his lap with her dress hitched which gave him access to her slender legs, he couldn't deny his enjoyment either. Slowly, he trailed his hands up and down the length of her smooth thighs before moving one hand to rest on the small of her back and the other to grip the back of her head as he pulled her closer to him

Pulling back, Elsa gave him a shy smile before she removed her shawl and unzipped her dress. He watched with delight as she tugged at the dress, bunching it so it rested around her hips which gave him a good view of her breasts and the lacy, blue bra.

Suddenly a sound from the kitchen snapped him back to reality. "Elsa, my mum. She's still downstairs," he murmured.

Elsa frowned. "Oh relax, aren't you supposed to be all about fun?" she teased, flinging her shawl out the door to land in the hallway, before resuming her assault on his body.

"I love fun. I just don't exactly want to risk my mum walking in on us, not like this," he panted.

"Live a little," Elsa smirked, bending down to place more kisses on Jack's mouth and jaw.

* * *

Elsa waited. She had thrown her shawl out to the hallway a few minutes ago and knew that it wouldn't be long before the last part of her and Caroline's plan came into effect. Leaning down, she proceeded to place a series of kisses on Jack's neck. She heard a soft moan as Jack's arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer. His lips moved to her shoulders as he began pressing soft kisses to her shoulder bones, his earlier inhibition all but forgotten.

Suddenly the overhead light flickered on and the sound of a loud gasp could be heard.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Caroline stammered, as her eyes glanced over her son and future daughter-in-law.

"Mum, it's not what it looks like," Jack blurted, as he fumbled to help Elsa pull her dress back up.

Smiling, she climbed off Jack's lap. Any other time, she would have been mortified to be sprung with her dress hitched down and in the middle of a heated make out session with her fiance. However, tonight was different and she couldn't help feeling satisfied that her prank had been a success. She crossed the divide to stand beside Caroline. Leaning in, she shared a quick hug with her future mother-in-law before pulling back and exchanging a high-five.

"My apologies, Jack, did I interrupt your birthday sex?" Caroline asked, struggling to hold back a giggle.

"You did say you wanted birthday sex," Elsa added. "You never stipulated _where _you wanted the sex to take place."

Jack felt his jaw drop as he watched the subtle interactions between his mum and his fiance, the knowing smiles, the high five and the hug they had shared. "You planned this?!" he declared, standing up to point at the laughing women, "I was set up!"

"Gotcha!" giggled Elsa, placing her hands on her hips, "we got you good."

"You don't raise a son like Jack Frost without learning a few things about pulling pranks. By the way, I want a copy of that CD. The music may come in handy if I ever decide to go back to dating" Caroline said, walking over to plant a kiss on Jack's reddened face.

* * *

Jack wrapped his arms around Elsa's naked body. They had retired to their bedroom an hour ago where, to his delight, Elsa had made good on her earlier promise.

"So, the CD in the car, the switching seats in cinema, the cake and the lounge room. They were all planned by you and Mum?" he asked, as he trailed his hand over her hips

"Guilty as charged," she admitted.

Jack laughed. "I've taught you well," he boasted.

"Learned from the best," she agreed. "Just promise me that you won't try and get back at us by pulling a prank on our wedding day."

"No promises, babe, but that is why you love me," he smirked before leaning over to press a kiss on her forehead.


	12. Chapter 16- Better Than Drugs

**BETTER THAN DRUGS**

"_Feel your every heartbeat_

_Feel you on these empty nights_

_Calm the ache, stop the shakes_

_You clear my mind_

_You're my escape_

_From this messed up place_

_'Cause you let me forget_

_You numb my pain"_

_~Better Than Drugs~ Skillet~_

It was a cold night. Outside snow was falling, covering the ground in a thick, white blanket. Inside a modest two-story house, a mother was struggling to convince her eldest daughter to give up her bedroom for the night.

"Mama, why do I have to sleep in Anna's room?" pouted Elsa. "She always wakes me up to play."

"I'll be good tonight, Elsa," vowed Anna, shuffling over to make room for her sister. "I promise that I'll let you sleep tonight."

"You always say that, Anna, and you always break your promise," Elsa shot back, rolling her eyes at her sister. "Plus, you're a bed hog and you kick me when you're sleeping."

Lillian watched as Anna crossed her arms and turned to stare at her sister. "I am not a bed hog and I do not ki-" she began.

Ignoring her, Elsa turned her back on her sister, effectively shutting off the line of communication while she directed her attention back to Lillian.

"Mama, you didn't answer my question," Elsa stated matter-of-factly. "Why do I have to sleep in Anna's bed again?"

Lillian sighed. She had hoped that Anna's enthusiasm and Elsa's lack thereof, would have proved enough of a distraction to push the question from her eight year-old's mind. However, it would appear that it wasn't the case. Her eyes flicked between her two daughters, both of whom had stopped what they were doing in order to look at her. She felt her heart softening as she took in their small, angelic features. Suddenly, she felt her resolve to avoid the question strengthening.

She knew that there were parents out there who would argue that she should respond to the question with a simple answer. Some would say that she should tell her inquisitive daughter that her room was needed for an overnight guest. However, Lillian knew her daughter and Elsa would not be content with such an answer. Instead, she would likely respond with even more questions. She would then want to know why Anna couldn't give up her room, or why their young visitor couldn't sleep downstairs on the plush couch. The line of questioning may be steeped in childhood innocence, but the answers that she was withholding weren't. The reasoning hinted at a subject matter that she, as an adult, struggled to comprehend.

"Mama?" Elsa asked, tugging at her pant leg.

Lillian frowned. She needed to think of something to distract Elsa's train of thought. She glanced at Anna, who could normally be counted on to provide a distraction, and groaned. The younger girl had settled herself with her picture book which she flicked through, pointing out the pictures to her teddy. For some reason, it always seemed that the one time she _wanted_ her youngest to be a bundle of energy at bed-time, was the one time that she opted to be quiet. With any luck, her husband would be returning home soon with their guest. After all, he didn't have to go far in order to collect him.

The sound of the front door opening and closing downstairs alerted her to her husband's return. Lillian sighed, making a mental note to thank her husband for returning just in time. Her eyes glanced at her daughters as she ushered them into bed. Leaning down, Lillian pulled the covers over her daughters and tucked them in before pressing a soft kiss on each of their foreheads. Pausing at the doorway, she cast one last look at her beloved girls. Flicking the light switch off, she pulled the door closed behind her and made her way downstairs.

The sound of her husband's voice greeted her as he spoke in a calming tone to their guest. Raising her head, she cast her eyes over the small visitor who had just arrived.

The slight eight year old boy was a mess. As usual, he was dressed in pyjamas which were far too small for him and his eyes were stained with tears. Clutched in his hand was Bunnymund- the beloved toy rabbit that her husband had purchased for him a year ago.

"I was just going to make a hot chocolate. Care to join me?" she asked, offering her hand to the small boy.

Nodding, he took her hand and walked with her into the warm kitchen. She watched as he hoisted himself onto the stool before going to get two sachets from the container to empty into a mug each for her and the boy and turned the kettle on. Once the drinks had been prepared, she led him to the lounge room and beckoned for him to join her as she sat on the floor beside the warm fire.

They sat in silence while they sipped at their drinks. The boy let out a soft giggle when he caught sight of his milk moustache in the mirror. Her husband walked in a few minutes later with a few extra marshmallows to drop in the boy's hot chocolate. Tucked under his arm was his medical kit. Sitting down, he called the boy to him and commenced his examination. She heard him let out a sigh of relief which suggested to her that he had failed to notice any fresh bruising or scars on the youngster. Tonight, it seemed fate had been kind to the boy.

Lillian glanced up to catch her husband's eyes and noticed the frown that marred his face. She knew he was thinking about the boy and wishing he could do more. They both did. He was a great kid and it hurt them to know the circumstances in which he lived. His mother was a lovely lady and she doted on him, but she was powerless against her alcoholic and abusive husband. The death of her second child, the boy's younger sister, had sent her spiralling into depression and she'd seemingly lost the will to fight back and to protect herself and her son from her husband's violent moods.

Lillian and Walt had provided an anonymous report to the authorities in the hopes of getting some help for the boy and his mother, but it had been denied. Apparently the boy's case was deemed unfortunate, but not urgent. The only small mercy was that Lillian had managed to form a weird friendship with the boy's mother, who had agreed to let the Andersen's help by taking the boy off her hands from time to time to give him a sense of comfort and security and to keep him as safe as possible. She knew that on nights like this all she had to do was call and they would collect the boy and care for him.

The sound of soft snores broke her from her thoughts. Looking down she saw that the boy had fallen asleep with his head resting on his cuddly toy rabbit. Gently, she picked him and the toy up and carried them up the stairs and into Elsa's vacant room. She leaned down, placing him on the bed before pulling the covers up and over him.

Standing at the doorframe she cast one last look at him before bidding him goodnight.

* * *

Elsa landed on the floor with a thud. Once again she'd been forced to share her sister's bed and once again her sister had managed to kick her out. The only consolation was that her sister had stayed true to her words and hadn't woken her to play as she normally did. Getting up, she was just about to climb back into Anna's bed when she heard an all too familiar noise.

Silently, she let herself out of the room and tiptoed down the hall to her own room. She pushed open the door and saw him. The covers had been pushed back and he was tossing and turning in his sleep, murmuring indecipherable words.

Sighing, she climbed into her bed. She leaned down to pull the blankets around them before wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"It's okay, Jack, I'm here. You're safe," she whispered.

* * *

The weight of an energetic five year old woke Lillian from her sleep.

Opening her eyes, she noticed the hint of early morning light breaking through the curtains. It was early, too early. According to the clock on her bedside table it was not even 7am. Beside her, her husband mumbled and turned to lie on his side, unwilling to face the day this early.

Undeterred, Anna pounced, coming to lie between her parents before flinging her arms out dramatically. "Mummy, Daddy, get up. The sky's awake, so I'm awake and we have to play," she whined.

Lillian sighed and shuffled to a sitting position. There was no point in her delaying getting up, not now that Anna knew she was awake. Her youngest was a bundle of energy and was on the go all the time. Stretching, she pushed herself out of bed and urged Anna to go wait for her in the kitchen where she would prepare breakfast.

Grabbing her robe, she wrapped it around herself before letting herself out of her room. Silently, she tiptoed across the hall to Elsa's room where she could check in on the boy.

She felt her heart melt as she caught sight of Elsa and Jack curled up in Elsa's bed, their arms wound tightly around each other while they lay sleeping. She knew it would happen and that Elsa would end up back in her own bed with Jack. The boy was prone to nightmares- a side effect of the situation which he faced at home. Elsa, it seemed, would always sense when he was crying or having a nightmare, and would go to him to offer comfort.

Shaking her head, she pulled the door closed behind her and left the two friends to sleep.

* * *

**8 YEARS LATER**

Elsa frowned as the sound of the neighbours fighting could be heard over her small television. She grabbed her phone and waited, knowing that it wouldn't be long until he contacted her. Moments later her phone beeped and a new message appeared on her screen.

'_They're at it again, I'm on my way' ~ J_

Getting up, she raced down the stairs to meet him. Finding her parents in the lounge room, she greeted them and let them know that the teen was about to arrive at their home. To her relief they didn't object. After all, he'd always been a welcomed guest in their home.

Opening the front door, she saw him, his eyes downcast and schoolbag in hand as he made his way up the path towards her. She smiled and ran to meet him. He said nothing and she didn't press him. Silently, she reached for his hand and pulled him into the warm house.

Inside, they paused briefly at the entrance to the lounge room. She waited patiently while Jack and her parents exchanged pleasantries, before she interrupted to let them know that she and Jack had homework to attend to prior to going to bed.

Only once they'd reached the privacy of her bedroom did she loosen her grip on his hand. Sitting down on her bed, she reached over and pulled him to sit beside her. Softly, she reached her hand out to check over him, choking back a tear as her eyes fell on the new bruise on his face.

They sat in silence for a while, his arms wrapped around her waist while her head rested on his shoulder. Eventually she broke her hold to reach into her bedside table drawer and pull out a bag of Hershey's Kisses, unwrapping one and popping it into his mouth before taking one for herself.

"It never fails to amaze me that you manage to always have a stash of Hershey's despite the fact that Anna, the chocoholic, is your sister" remarked Jack with a smirk.

Elsa laughed. "That's because I told her that Hershey's Kisses are our thing. I warned her that if she dares go for them I'll whoop her ass."

* * *

Jack smiled. It was true. Hershey's Kisses were kind of 'their' thing. It was one year ago when he'd realised that his feelings for Elsa had changed. He no longer loved her as a friend. He was _in love_ with her and after months of deliberation, he finally decided to admit his feelings.

He'd picked up a bag of the sweet chocolates on his way home and had taken them next door to share with Elsa. They had been sitting on the couch, making their way through the treats, when Jack had made his move. Leaning forward, he'd told her that he wanted to give her a kiss and waited for her approval before placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Her parents had walked in on the duo kissing later that afternoon and their responses had been one of amusement. Lillian had been rapt, claiming that she'd been waiting for the moment since they day the two had met as six year olds. Walt Andersen, on the other-hand, had pointed at Jack, telling him that while he approved, he expected to see a ring on her finger before he saw his daughter pregnant.

He felt Elsa pull away from him and watched as she scooted under the covers, beckoning for him to join her. Grinning, he ripped his shirt off and tugged his jeans down, leaving him in only his boxers before climbing under the covers.

Jack would forever be grateful for Elsa and her family. When they'd moved in next door, they had changed his life. Not only had Jack found a friend in Elsa, but he'd also found a safe haven, a home that had provided him with more love and care than the one his parents had provided for him.

The Andersen's had always been there for Jack. Whenever his father became violent towards him and his mother, they had been there. When Jack's parents had forgotten his ninth birthday, the Andersen's had stepped in to whisk him off to the zoo and then back to their home for dinner and cake. Lillian Andersen had even taken to purchasing clothes and school supplies for Jack when his own parents forgot, something she continued to do even now despite the fact that Jack had a part time job and could purchase his own clothes and supplies.

Elsa was his safe place, and whenever he was with her the world felt more positive. She was the reason he was so stable. He knew studies showed that kids like him were at risk of falling into negative patterns and continuing the circle of substance abuse and violence in which they had been raised. He may have been one of those people, a statistic, had his guardian angel not come into his life all those years ago.

"Elsa," he murmured, stroking a strand of hair from her face.

"Yes, Jack," she replied, smiling at him.

"I love you, my angel," he whispered, leaning in to place a tender kiss on her lips.

"I love you, Jack," she responded, smiling into the kiss.


	13. Chapter 18-Better Than Me

_The bed I'm lying in is getting colder_

_Wish I never would've said it's over_

_And I can't pretend... I won't think about you when I'm older_

_Cause we never really had our closure_

_This can't be the end_

_~Hinder- Better Than Me~_

The tears fell from his eyes and stained his cheeks as they made their way down his face. Beside him sat an empty box of tissues with the used contents scattered on the floor.

After returning home that morning, Jack had retreated to his room. He had pulled down the blind, making the room as dark as possible, before poking his head out to tell his housemate, Jamie, that he was not to be disturbed. Once he was sure that Jamie had understood the message, he'd shut the door and had collapsed on his bed. His phone had rung a few times, but he had ignored it in the hopes that the caller would get the message and leave him alone. The exchange he'd shared with Elsa earlier in the day had left him frustrated and he was content to simply wallow in self-pity.

Arguments were nothing new for him and Elsa. In fact, it seemed that they had some sort of fight on almost a daily basis. Their disagreements had been known to range from the minor disagreement to major disputes. The only positive was that their fights rarely lasted longer than a couple of minutes. Most of their fights seemed to be solved with Jack growing frustrated and pulling Elsa into his arms to silence her with a kiss. She would flail about for a few seconds out of determination to finish what had been started, but Jack would hold firm. Eventually, she would give in and drape her arms around him and return the kiss. After breaking apart, she would swat him on the arm and curse him for using her weakness for him against her.

However, this fight was different and Jack had a feeling that it couldn't be solved with pressing a kiss to Elsa's lips. This time he had screwed up royally and had done something that had caused a major change in her life. Still, despite Elsa's obvious anger, Jack still held the opinion that he wasn't entirely to blame and that he had, in fact, been trying to help her.

* * *

_It had all started when Jack had gone to collect Elsa from her waitressing job earlier that morning._

_The diner where Elsa had worked had experienced a high turnover in staff in the three months that she had worked there. As a result, the demand on Elsa had been even greater. She had been working longer hours which led to her getting less sleep in order to stay on top of her studies. Although her grades had managed to remain high, Jack hadn't failed to notice the extra pressure that she was placing on herself in order to maintain the delicate work/ study/ life balance._

_Jack had arrived at the diner in the early hours of the morning to collect Elsa after she had worked a gruelling overnight shift. Walking in, he had been shocked to discover Elsa being harangued by her boss, Hans. The older man had backed Elsa against a wall while he spoke to her in an angry and accusatory tone. _

"_When I interviewed you, you swore to me that your student and personal life wouldn't interfere with your ability to work. Yet, now you are telling me that you can't work a shift because of your studies," Hans spat._

"_I...I wasn't rostered on for a double shift. I have a major assignment due and this afternoon is the only time I have to finish it," Elsa stammered, wrapping her arms around her tiny frame. _

_The protective instinct inside Jack had snapped upon seeing Elsa looking so fearful and powerless._

"_What in the hell is going on?" Jack shouted, racing around the counter to place himself between his girlfriend and her boss._

"_J-Jack, it's okay," Elsa squeaked, placing a trembling hand on his shoulder._

"_Elsa, what is the meaning of this? I suggest you tell this thug to leave, or I'll throw him out," Hans snarled, glaring at Jack. _

"_I suggest you step back from my girlfriend. Can't you see you're scaring her?" Jack shouted, as he rose to his full height._

"_Jack, please, let me handle this," Elsa cried, stepping out from behind him_

_Hans stepped backward and slammed his fist on a metal bench before cursing loudly. From out the corner of his eyes, Jack noticed the curious looks on the few patrons who had been in the diner. Instinctively, Jack had thrown his arm out in front of Elsa, preventing the angered man from getting to her._

_Hans lowered his voice as he turned to glare at Jack. "May I suggest that you learn to listen to your girlfriend," he hissed_

_He had then shifted his attention back to Elsa. "As for you, thanks to your little boyfriend here, you won't have to worry about juggling work and study again. You're fired," he sneered. "Take your stuff and get out of here."_

_Their ride home had been quiet. Jack had been left fuming at the sight he had witnessed and felt he needed a few minutes to compose himself before speaking. His mind had been left wondering about what could have happened if he had not arrived to pick Elsa up. Elsa had not said anything since leaving the diner and had spent most of the ride staring out the window. It was only when they pulled onto Jack's street that she spoke._

"_Jack, how could you? I needed that job. You know I need the money," she croaked, her eyes still focused on the sights outside the window._

"_What?!" Jack gasped, shooting her a glance. "I walk in to find that asshole has you backed against the wall, you were fucking trembling and you ask me why I dare protect you!"_

"_He only wanted me to work an extra shift. I was being selfish," Elsa began. _

_Jack turned to look at her. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. His girlfriend had been run off her feet as a result of that job. She had gone in to cover the 10pm to 8am shift after another colleague had called in sick and yet she claimed that being unwilling to work a longer shift had been selfish?_

"_Are you fucking kidding me? In the months since you've worked there you have hardly slept, you've been run off your feet, you've stayed up all hours to finish assignments and you've lost weight. You need to rest. if anyone was selfish it was that asshole," he ranted, pulling into the driveway of his home._

"_Things would have improved. There's only a few more weeks until the Summer holidays and I would have been able to get more sleep and not have to worry so much about work and uni," Elsa reasoned, as she stepped out of the car._

"_And in those weeks you have your exams, Elsa. Are you honestly going to sit here and tell me some job behind the counter of a diner is worth more than your studies?" Jack shouted, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind him._

_Elsa spun on her heels, the anger evident on her face. "Maybe not, but it's not your place to come in, play the hero and get me fired. I could have handled it, I've handled it before. Damnit, Jack, I needed the money," she yelled._

"_What do you mean you've handled it before? How many times has he bullied you, Elsa?" Jack questioned, following her into the house. _

"_Forget it, Jack, it doesn't matter, I've been fired remember," Elsa hissed, packing her belongings into her overnight bag. _

_Jack watched dumbfounded while Elsa slung her backpack over her shoulder and left his bedroom. He wanted to know more, to ask Elsa to elaborate on what she had meant when she said that she'd 'dealt with it before.' The stony expression on his girlfriend's face, however, told him to leave it. Instead, he followed her down the stairs and across the yard to her car._

"_El, just come back to bed. We'll have a rest and can talk about it later," he begged, reaching for her hand. _

_She shrugged him off. "Leave it alone, Jack. I can't deal with you or this at the moment," she whispered, sliding into her car. "Just give me space."_

_He had watched her drive to the end of the street before turning and stomping back towards the house. His eyes had fallen on the pot plant that sat beside the front door and he'd kicked it, causing the pot to shatter and spilling soil all over the porch. He'd paused momentarily, while he deliberated whether to clean it up, before stepping over the mess to enter the house. _

_He'd stormed up the stairs and to his room before slamming the door shut and flinging himself onto the bed. Grabbing a pillow, he pressed it to his face and let out a loud groan. He still couldn't believe the events that had gone down in the last hour between him and Elsa. He couldn't grasp how his girlfriend, the woman he loved, could accept being bullied by her boss and yet she'd dared to get mad at him for racing to protect him. Surely after three years of dating she would have realised that he only wanted what was best for her and to see her happy._

* * *

A car honking in the distance caused Jack to snap out of his thoughts. Groaning, he lifted his head to check the time. His eyes widened when he noticed that it was 7pm- apparently he had managed to fall asleep at some point during his wallowing. The sound of his stomach grumbling told him that he needed to eat, but he ignored it and turned to his side. Choosing to eat would mean having to leave his room which would likely include having to interact with his housemate and he didn't want that, nor did he want to deal with food. He didn't want to face anyone, or anything that wasn't Elsa.

The sound of his bedroom door opening interrupted his moping, "Jamie, I thought I told you to leave me alone," he grunted.

He heard the sound of his door being closed as the intruder entered his room. Seconds later, the mattress sagged as an extra body joined him on his bed. The familiar scent of vanilla perfume filling his senses as a pair of slender arms wrapped around his torso from behind. Sniffling, he shifted his position and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend.

"I thought you weren't coming back," he cried, staring into Elsa's tear stained blue eyes.

Jack felt her shift between his arms as she moved to bury her head into the crook of his neck.

"I'll always come back to you," she whispered. "I can't function without you."

He smiled and leant over to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "You mean you can't function without having someone to correct you when you're wrong," he joked.

"Ouch," he shrieked, rubbing his arm where Elsa had whacked him.

He looked at Elsa, noticing the shy smile that had crept onto her face. "Shut up and kiss me, you idiot," she demanded.

Jack grinned and leaned over her whilst he supported himself on his elbows. "You're the boss," he murmured "And that is one order I'm always happy to obey."


	14. Chapter 22-The Power of Love

_And it don't take money, don't take fame_

_don't need no credit card to ride this train_

_It's strong and it's sudden it can be cruel sometimes_

_but it might just save your life_

_~The Power of Love~ Huey Lewis and the News~ _

Night had fallen and put an end to the long day. Inside the Arendelle Castle there was silence. The inhabitants had retired to their bedrooms a few hours earlier and were now sleeping soundly. All except for one.

Quietly, Elsa opened her door and pulled it closed behind her before tiptoeing down the long hall to the servants entry. She cast a quick glance at her surroundings before opening the door and slipping outside into the night air. Picking up the pace, she made her way to the gate at the side of the castle and slipped through it.

Her eyes fell on the young man, who was leaning casually against a ledge and she smiled. She let out a soft cough to alert him to her presence. She watched as he turned to face her and noted the way his grin widened as she stepped closer to him. He waited until she was a few inches from him before stepping forward to take her candle from her. Patiently, she waited for him to settle the candle on the ledge behind him before he returned his gaze to meet hers.

"My princess," he greeted, bowing.

Giggling, she pulled him up to face her and reached her hands around his neck before placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"My blacksmith," she cooed while nuzzling into his warm cloak as he led her away.

They walked in a comfortable silence, stopping along the way to steal kisses from each other until they had reached the the docks. Taking her hand, Jack carefully assisted her into a small wooden boat and pulled out a blanket to wrap around her. Picking up the oars, he rowed them out until he'd found a spot not far from the docks and threw the anchor out. He then laid himself down and pulled her to lie on his chest before gently tilting her head so that she could see the night sky.

Elsa sighed contentedly. The boat wasn't the most comfortable of places to lie, although Jack had as usual, put her comfort first. He had lined the boat with a blanket which he then proceeded to lay on before pulling her to rest against his chest and covering them with another blanket. He'd then taken her hand in his and pointed out the various constellations which could be seen in the night sky. It was a simple act, but like everything that Jack did it was filled with love and that was all they had.

Their romance was forbidden and if anyone found out about it they'd both be in trouble. She was the 17 year-old crown princess and was expected to marry either another royal or a nobleman. Once married, it would be her responsibility to produce an heir and eventually take the throne. He was a blacksmith, working long hours for mere pittance with the money he made barely covering the basics. They came from different sides of the castle walls. She had been born into the privileged high society, while he came from poverty. Yet, despite their differences, they had found each other.

Their secret relationship had begun eighteen months earlier, after they'd met by chance in the castle garden. Jack had been hired to repair the benches that were scattered around the palace courtyard. She had been on her routine walk around the garden when she had stopped to admire the intricate details of the bench. A voice had spoken from behind her. Turning around, she had found herself face to face with a handsome young commoner. The youth had quickly identified himself to be the blacksmith responsible for the work.

That one simple meeting had lit a spark and Elsa had found herself keeping an eye out for the teen blacksmith with the tousled brown hair. She had taken any excuse to get time in the yard while he was working. She had watched him from afar before shyly approaching him to pay him more compliments. The boy, in return, would always return her compliments with polite modesty and a warm smile before proceeding to tell her a joke or an interesting fact, which helped her feel at ease.

Looking back, Elsa had no idea who had been more surprised when she had first agreed to meet with Jack in secret. All she knew was that he had asked and she'd not hesitated to accept, pushing aside all guilt at the thought of her misbehaviour. She knew that sneaking out was wrong highly inappropriate for the crown princess. She was well aware that if caught both her and Jack would be in big trouble, but she didn't care. For the first time in her sixteen years, she had found someone who didn't see her for her title, he simply saw her.

They had been together for six months when she had decided to brave telling him about her powers. She had found herself debating over whether she should continue to withhold the information, or not. Her relationship with Jack was only continuing to strengthen as they became closer, which led her to fear that their growing intimacy could cause her to accidentally reveal her curse. It was the fear that had pushed her to tell him and she had decided that if he turned against her, she'd simply have to do what she had always done and push the pain aside.

To her relief, Jack hadn't even cared. He'd simply watched amazed while she gave a small demonstration before pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly and reminding her that she was beautiful and perfect and that he loved her.

Their outings were all stolen moments; hours consisting of nights spent together from dusk until dawn. Each time they tried to do something different. Some nights he would take her to rest where they would simply talk and share the details of their respective day. Other nights they would take extra candles so that she could read to him and share her love of literature. Her favourite nights, however, were the ones where Jack would wrap her in his arms and tell her the stories and lessons that he had learned.

"Elsa," Jack murmured, shaking her from her thoughts. "We have to get you home. It's nearing dawn."

Elsa sighed and shuffled to a sitting position. She wrapped the blanket tightly around her while Jack pulled up the anchor and rowed them back to the docks.

They walked in a brisk pace until they had reached the castle's side gate where they were to bid farewell. It was these moments which were the hardest for her. She hated having to turn to leave him and return to her isolation. Leaning in, she pressed one last kiss to his lips before she slipped inside the gates and returned to her room.

* * *

Elsa yawned. After creeping in to her room, she had managed a mere three hours sleep before her maid had woken her so that she could tend to her studies.

However, she had found herself too tired to concentrate on her schoolwork and had turned to looking out the window and frowning at the storm that had covered the kingdom. Her mood hadn't improved when the steady fall of rain had seen her daily walk being cancelled and replaced with an extra deportment lesson before dinner. The only thing that had got her through the day, was the promise of seeing the man she loved later that evening.

Finally the day had ended and Elsa had bid her time waiting to slip through the darkened castle. Opening the gate, she found her prince standing there with his arms wide open and the lop-sided grin on his face that she loved. Grinning, she stepped forward and draped her arms around his neck while he closed his arms and held her tight.

"Can we just stay in tonight?" she asked. "The rain has made things difficult and I feel like I need my bed."

He nodded and reached down to grip her hand. Silently, she pulled him into the castle grounds and snuck him to her bedroom. She waited for him to shut the bedroom door before flinging her arms around his neck and pressing a series of kisses on his lips. He responded almost instantly, wrapping his arms tightly around her while he returned her enthusiastic kisses.

"I thought you were tired," he panted, gasping for air between their amorous kisses.

"I said that I felt like I needed my bed. I didn't say anything about being tired," she purred, pulling him towards the bed.

* * *

They fell in a tangled heap onto the plush bed as their kissing became more passionate and their hands begun to roam over the other's body. Jack could feel the urge to connect with her growing stronger and paused. It wasn't that they hadn't been intimate, they had made love several times in the past, but tonight felt different. Tonight, he simply wanted to hold her body as close as possible to his own while he kissed her. He felt the need to remind her of the depth of his feelings for her and to be with her.

To his relief she agreed. She was just happy to be with him, to be in his arms and to revel in their stolen moment. He slipped his shirt off before pulling back the covers and climbing into her bed. She had taken a minute to change into her nightgown before joining him under the covers and shuffling over so that her body was as close as possible to his own. Leaning over, she pressed soft kisses to his chest while he trailed his fingers over the curves of her body and told her stories of his day.

* * *

As the hours wore on, the young couple soon fell asleep. They'd not allowed themselves to be separated not even in sleep with the princess resting her head on her beloved's bare chest while his arms continued to hold her tight. They had been so deep in sleep that they had failed to notice the onset of dawn, or hear the knock on the door by the maid who had been sent to rouse the princess from her slumber.

The maid, who had been unable to wake the crown princess, had feared the worst and had opened the door. She'd walked into the darkened room and had drawn back the curtains to bask the room in light. It was only then that she noticed the princess, who had remained asleep, wrapped in the arms of a shirtless teenaged male. Startled, she had let out a loud gasp before stumbling backwards. Her eyes had fallen on the ground where the shirt and cloak lay, revealing the boy to be a commoner.

* * *

Jack's eyes burst open. The sound of curtains being drawn had caused him to stir, but he'd ignored it. The loud gasp that had followed the curtains being opened was what had really jolted him awake. Releasing his hold on Elsa, he shuffled into a seated position and turned to face a shocked castle servant who looked like she was only seconds away from calling the guards and having him thrown in the dungeon.

"This isn't what it looks li-" he stammered, shifting his look from the sleeping Elsa to the shocked servant.

"Who are you?" shrieked the servant, pointing an accusing finger at Jack. "More importantly what are you doing in the princess' bed?"

* * *

Elsa blinked. She'd been woken up by the sound of Jack's panicked voice. It had taken her a few seconds to register that Jack wasn't talking to her. Instead, he was talking to someone else. Someone who just happened to be in her room.

Her eyes widened as the realisation hit her. Jolting upright, she found herself staring into the eyes of her servant, Gerda, who was standing at the foot of her bed pointing at Jack.

"No, no, this isn't, this is, please calm down," she stammered smoothing her hair down as she reached for Jack. Her inner dialogue letting loose with a string of very un-princess like words.

* * *

Jack groaned. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this mess. Of all the foolish things he'd ever done, surely being caught in broad daylight, in the bed of his, girlfriend who just happened to be the crown princess topped the list. Elsa had woken not long after and had reached for him while she begged with her servant to calm down. His eyes glanced between the servant and Elsa and a thought struck him.

As the crown princess, Elsa had the highest rank of any of them in the room. He wondered if, under Elsa's orders, the servant may be willing to help him to sneak out of the castle. He wasn't entirely certain how the chain of command went. He knew that technically the servant worked for King Agdar, Elsa's father, but surely Elsa had the right to give the maid the order to help Jack leave the castle at least. If he was lucky then maybe, just maybe, the servant would not only help him sneak out, but would manage to 'forget' what she had seen.

He wasn't lucky

* * *

King Agdar and his wife, Queen Idun, were on their way down the hallway to attend breakfast. As they neared Elsa's door, they heard the sounds of a commotion. With the voices of Elsa, their servant Gerda, and a male voice all sounding distressed and talking at once. The king had poked his head in to see what the fuss was about and had felt his jaw clench at the sight that had greeted him.

The sight of Gerda and Elsa in her room was not unusual. However, the messy-haired brunette boy, who was struggling to pull a shirt over his bare chest was not normal.

"What in the world is the meaning of this?" He roared, his eyes narrowing in on the mysterious boy.

"Papa!" Elsa gasped, her face blushing furiously as she struggled to compose herself.

"I..I can explain, Your Highness." stammered the offending boy.

Agdar watched as his daughter hopped out of bed and scurried to the side of the boy. There was something eerily familiar about the youth and he was certain that he'd seen him before. His eyes fell over the teen boy's lean frame and tattered clothes. He was obviously a commoner and judging by the state of his clothing, he was one of the poorer ones.

Clearing his throat he spoke. "You boy, come with me. Elsa, get yourself dressed and meet us in my study." The boy nodded, shooting a nervous look at Elsa before turning to follow him.

* * *

Hastily Elsa threw her clothes on. She somehow managed to make herself look presentable before she raced out of her room. She could feel the eyes of the servants on her as they watched her and knew that her uncharacteristic behaviour had caught their eyes, but she didn't care. The fear of what her father could do was haunting her as she made her way to his office. As king, he held the ultimate power and it was the fear of how her father could choose to assert that power, which troubled her. He was generally known to be a fair ruler, but that was before he'd found his daughter and a commoner in her bedroom. He could easily see to it that Jack was arrested, or banish him from the kingdom with the order to never return. She couldn't let that happen, she wouldn't let it happen - not to Jack. They had been caught and she had to go support the man she loved. She had to try and plead their case to her enraged father.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and waited for her father to call her to enter. Pushing open the door, she found Jack. He was sitting on a chair with his eyes downcast while he fiddled with his hands. At the sound of her father's clipped tone greeting her, he looked up and turned to give her a small smile, which she returned. Her eyes glanced to her father whose face was still red with anger. Her mother stood behind her husband while her hands squeezed his shoulders in what looked like an attempt to calm him down. Gulping, Elsa moved towards the chair that had been left free for her. She shifted it a bit closer to Jack's own chair, so she could hold his hand in what she hoped would not only serve to give him support, but would also hopefully show her parents that what she and Jack shared was meaningful.

To say her father was furious was an understatement. Under her mother's encouragement he remained quiet long enough for her and Jack to fill him in on the details of their relationship. Starting from the beginning, they told him how they had first met and how long they had been dating and finishing with the moment when they had been caught in her bed.

"You mean to tell me that for the last year and a half you have been leaving the castle at night to run around with this... blacksmith?" Agdar spat, shooting a dirty look at Jack. "That you have brought shame to not only yourself, but to your mother and I? Elsa you are the crown princess. There are rules and expectations. Sneaking out to fool around with someone, least of all a commoner is NOT acceptable-"

"Papa," Elsa cried, interrupting her father.

"Elsa, you do NOT interrupt me. I am your father and your king and I know damn well that you have been taught better than to dare interrupt me," Agdar snapped. "Really, Elsa, I am disappointed in you. I always had faith that you were a good girl and knew your rules. A crown princess can not be acting like a commoner, nor can she be sneaking around and allowing strange boys into her bedroom!"

"Papa it's not like that, " Elsa cried. "I love him."

* * *

Jack felt his heart break as he watched the tears falling down Elsa's face. He knew that he shouldn't, that his actions would appear disrespectful in front of the king, but instinct took over. Slowly he extended his arm, pulling Elsa back towards him as he wrapped his arms around her. He glanced at the king and noticed the look of shock on the man's face. He knew that he was outraged at the sight of a commoner daring to act so boldly with the crown princess. Any other day and Jack would have caved under his glare, but not when his girlfriend was in tears. His priority was and always would be to comfort Elsa and he couldn't change that simply to appease the king.

* * *

Agdar sighed. On the insistence of his wife he'd dismissed Elsa. He'd sent her to her room and ordered the young blacksmith to leave the castle. He'd called the servants asking for breakfast to be delivered to him and his wife in his study while they discussed the severity of the situation. Their daughter, the crown princess, had been caught sharing a bed with a commoner, a blacksmith, that the palace had hired and in doing so, she had placed him in a difficult situation.

Burying his head in his arms, the king groaned. He knew that at this moment his daughter was likely curled up in her room devastated. After all, he'd thrown the boy she claimed to love out of the palace despite her protests. He was a man divided and unsure of what option to choose. He could do what was right by his country and follow the rules and regulations he himself had once argued against, or he could exit the castle and go to the boy bringing him back into their home and placing his daughter first. Such was the struggle of a monarch. Duty to your people sometimes came with a cost, however, as a father, he didn't want that cost to be his daughter's happiness.

He let out a loud sigh. "Idun, what am I going to do?" he cried, gripping his wife's hand.

The woman paused. "Go with your heart. Take a lesson from the young man's bravery and love. He may be a commoner, but even a commoner can teach an older king a lesson. Let his words and actions be a lesson."

The king paused, reflecting on the words his wife had spoken. He couldn't deny the boy had shown a level of bravery that he rarely saw. He had been in the middle of a heated discussion with Elsa when the words he had said combined with the stressfulness of the situation had caused Elsa to cry. The boy had reacted instantly. He'd reached out and had pulled Elsa to rest in his arms before he'd wiped at her tears. Agdar had watched gob-smacked by his boldness. The boy, Jack, was already in serious trouble, yet he had shown no concern for his current situation and had continued to act so intimately with the crown princess. Then, when Agdar had managed to string together a few words and ordered the youth to remove his hands from Elsa, he had refused.

The boy had looked at him and had proceeded to respond with steadfast determination while he apologised. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I understand that I am a commoner and ordinarily I'd respect your position as my king," the boy had stated. "However, in this instance the woman I love is crying, and I could not call myself a good man if I let her remain in tears without trying to comfort her."

Agdar had been shocked. He wasn't used to being denied, least of all by a lowly ranked commoner, but he couldn't deny that the boy had shown courage. What was more impressive was the fact that he'd shown genuine concern for Elsa and had placed her well-being above everything else. Elsa, in return, had appeared to soften under his touch. She'd seemingly moulded into his arms before sharing a look with him and allowing her sobs to subside.

It was at that point that Agdar had dismissed her and had sent her to her room while he'd had Jack escorted out of the grounds. He'd then turned to face his wife as the gravity of the situation had hit him. Whether he liked it or not, it was plain to see that his baby girl was deeply in love with the commoner."

"If I remember correctly, you were also in love with someone of a lower social standing," Idun interrupted, snapping Agdar back to reality.

"I was," he nodded. "Liesel, the daughter of a servant. It was two years before we first met. I gave in to the rules which my father had enforced on me. I didn't think it would be possible to love again, well, not until I met you, my dear," he gripped his wife's hand and gave it a light squeeze.

Idun smiled and moved closer to place a kiss on his forehead. "I know," she murmured.

"He loves her. He really loves her. I mean, he knows that I can punish him in any number of ways and yet, when she cried, he went to comfort her. It was the first thing he did and he defied my order, not to be defiant but because he placed her first," Agdar mused.

"He does and she loves him a lot. I saw it in their eyes." Idun whispered.

Agdar got to his feet, the answer to his dilemma was now clear in his mind."Tell the guards to prepare my horse," he stated, giving his wife a quick peck to the lips.

* * *

Elsa lay sprawled on her bed. The ice crawled up her walls, but she didn't care. Her tutors had dismissed her lessons for the day and had written it off as a sick day with her being too distraught to be responsive to their teaching. She was certain that by now her father had organised for Jack to be banished from the kingdom. He had sounded so adamant when he had dismissed her from his study and had called the guards to escort Jack from the castle. He'd barely even glanced at her when she'd collapsed to the ground in tears, watching as Jack had been taken from her sight. Her mother had come for her a few hours later with the request that she was to freshen up and return to face her father in his study within an hour. Reluctantly, Elsa had agreed.

Slowly she made her way downstairs to where her father was waiting. She didn't want to see him. He'd not seemed to care when she had told him how she loved Jack and how Jack loved her. The last thing she wanted to hear was him tell her what sort of punishment he'd arranged for Jack, especially if he was going to continue to ignore her feelings. Sighing, she straightened her dress before giving the nod to Gerda who opened the door to announce her presence to her father.

Stepping into the study, she couldn't help but gasp. Standing before her with a bashful smile on his face was Jack, and he looked different. Gone were his everyday commoner clothes. In their place was one of her father's old suits. Even his hair, which was normally tousled and unruly, had been smoothed down to rest neatly against his head.

"Elsa, I believe you are familiar with our guest," her father spoke, snapping her out of her daze.

Elsa blinked, suddenly remembering that her and Jack weren't alone in the room. She glanced at her father, who was perched on the seat where he'd been only hours earlier with his wife by his side like she'd been in the morning

"Papa?" she croaked, pinching herself as she took in the sight before her.

"He cleans up well doesn't he?" her father replied, beaming at Jack. "I mean, my suit is a bit too big for him and that hair took the servants some time to smooth down, but he scrubs up quite nicely if I do say so myself."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," Elsa said, her eyes darting from Jack who was grinning widely and her father.

Her father pushed himself up from his chair and made his way around the desk to pull her into his arms. "After you left, your mother and I had a talk," he began, smiling fondly at his wife. "Your mother reminded me that I too, was once in your situation and that as a monarch we are only as strong as the people we serve. To be a good ruler you must be willing to see things from not only your point of view, but also from the point of view of those you rule over" he finished.

"What are you saying?" Elsa whispered, still unsure of her fathers intentions.

"I am saying, that after our talk I went to meet with Jackson. I acknowledge that he showed great bravery and class in his actions earlier. However, more than that, he showed love. Love for you. He put your needs above his own, knowing that in doing so he could have landed in deep trouble," he began, casting a look at Jack. "Today I was taught a lesson of what it means to be truly noble."

Elsa could feel the tears forming in her eyes as she looked at Jack, who was blushing furiously under her father's gaze.

"Jack may not be a noble by title, but his behaviour was far more noble than that of most nobles I've had the opportunity to meet. Your mother and I have decided that, if it's okay with you and Jack, we'd quite like for you to continue to see each other. Of course, we do have to apply some rules. Rules stating that your studies must continue as normal and you can no longer sneak out at night."

Elsa cried, wrapping her arms around her father and placing a kiss on his cheek before taking a step back to compose herself. "Sorry, Papa, for my rashness," she apologised.

Her father laughed. "It's okay, Elsa. Now will you kindly show Jack the way to the dining room? I believe the chef has prepared a rather nice meal for us all to enjoy" he said.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to meet Jack's gaze.

"My princess," he said, bowing at her before he stood to offer her his arm.

Giggling, she took his arm and allowed him to escort her out of the study. Once outside the study, she turned to face him. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him in for a tender kiss.

Breaking the kiss, she pulled back to look at him. "Care to explain?" she dared.

Jack grinned and broke out of her hold before reaching down to take her hand in his as they walked. He told her how he'd been at work when he had got the message that the king had called and asked to see him. Despite his nerves, he had gone to meet with her father, who had sat him down before telling him of his own past and the conflict he felt as both a king and a father. Her father had then proceeded to tell Jack that he had decided to go against what his own parents had done and had chosen to follow his heart.

"There is a catch though," Jack added. "I have to attend deportment lessons in order to learn how to act all proper. Your father mentioned something about balls and various other things which all sound boring."

Elsa laughed. "They are. Sorry to inform you that royalty is not all fun and games," she said. "There is one thing that has to change though."

Jack stopped and turned to face her with a puzzled expression on his face. "Oh,"

Elsa grinned. "This hair is wrong. It's not you," she joked, reaching out to tousle his hair.

* * *

**A/N- Another request.**

**This one took me some time. I literally changed the opening paragraphs 4 times before eventually settling on this one.**

**This is strictly a human Jack/ Elsa and takes place before her parents leave. **


	15. Chapter 23-Girlfriend

_She's like so whatever_

_You could do so much better_

_I think we should get together now_

_And that's what everyone's talking about!_

_Hey! Hey! You! You!_

_I don't like your girlfriend!_

_~Avril Lavigne~Girlfriend~_

Elsa frowned. Her eyes fell on the petite brunette who continued to flip her hair and giggle for far longer than was really necessary.

She failed to see how it was _that_ funny. Jack made the same cheesy joke, reminding people that he happened to share the same name as a fabled winter spirit, on a daily basis. The jokes weren't even that funny, in fact they were kind of pathetic. Even Jack had acknowledged that they were lame. He freely admitted to only telling them in order to rile his friends up and to see what reactions he could get. As a result, Elsa and the rest of their friends had taken to ignoring him when he started on his various 'Jack Frost' puns. However, it appeared that not everyone had received the memo.

Shawna apparently found Jack's puns hilarious and was currently leaning in close to trail a lean, overly-manicured finger up Jack's arm. Anyone else would have blown off her advances, after all, Shawna was a known bitch and only too happy to use people to her advantage. She had never shown even the slightest bit of interest in Jack. It was only after he had been named captain of their school basketball team that Shawna had decided he was fascinating, much to Elsa's disgust. However, it seemed that Jack was only too happy to accommodate Shawna's advances. He was eagerly engaging her in conversation while rubbing a hand over the back of his head.

"Oh, Jack, you are sooo funny," she purred, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "You are such a talented basketball player. The way you scored that last goal was sooo good."

Elsa groaned and rolled her eyes. The sight of Shawna flirting with Jack was making her feel sick. She had come to the game to watch Jack play basketball, not to watch some airheaded bimbo pump his ego while elongating simple words. Any other girl and she'd not mind waiting for him. However, the fact that it was Shawna made it different.

Shawna had decided long ago that Elsa was someone for her to bully. Over the past four years she had made it her mission to belittle Elsa. Even tonight she had managed to be rude to her. She had practically shoved past Elsa on her way to get to Jack. When Elsa had finally reached Jack, she had been forced to deal with Shawna who had made an effort to block her from view. In the end Elsa had given up and returned to the bleachers. Shawna's message was clear - she was not welcome

Elsa checked her watch and sighed. Getting to her feet, she cast one last look at Jack in the hopes that she could let him know she was leaving, but it was useless. He was far too busy lapping up the attention from Shawna to notice her. Shaking her head, she resigned herself to walking home alone so that Jack could continue to flirt.

The night air was cold, but Elsa didn't mind. She wrapped her arms around her body and picked up her pace, making it home in record time. Slipping inside the front door, she couldn't help feeling grateful that her parents had yet to arrive home. The last thing she felt like doing was explaining why she had opted to walk home at night instead of catching a ride with Jack as she was meant to

After letting herself in, she made her way upstairs to her bedroom. She closed the door to her room before letting out a loud groan. Collapsing on her bed, her hands reached out to grab the nearest pillow which she used to muffle her scream. Rolling over, her eyes fell on a framed photo on her bedside table. Sitting up, she pulled the photo to rest on her lap. Her finger idly traced a pattern over the image of her and Jack on her 7th birthday while the memories of the day came back to her.

* * *

_After weeks of begging, Elsa's parents had finally agreed to allow her to celebrate her 7th birthday at McDonald's. On the day of the party, she had gathered with a small selection of her friends at her local fast food restaurant. The staff had just cleared away the last of the burger and fries wrappers and were getting ready to bring out the cake._

_Elsa had sat up straight in anticipation for the treasured cake. She hadn't had to wait for long before the cake had been placed in front of her with the candles lit. She had sat patiently while her friends and family had sung to her. After the birthday song had finished, she had leaned in to blow out the candles._

_She had taken a big breath and managed to extinguish five out of the seven candles. She had leaned back long enough to catch her breath in order to blow out the last two candles when Jack had struck. His eyes had zeroed in on the last two candles and he had leaned in to blow them out. _

_Elsa had been horrified. She had cried to all who would listen that Jack had ruined her moment. As an act of appeasement, Jack had offered up his slice of cake to Elsa, in the hopes that it would cheer her up. Blinking back tears, Elsa had taken the cake and smirked. She had moved fast and smashed the cake all over Jack's face before anyone could stop her. Caroline Frost had recovered from her shock long enough to snap a photo of Elsa and a cake-covered Jack before she'd separated the two young friends._

* * *

Elsa shook her head and smiled. Even to this day, her seventh party remained one of her favourite birthdays. The sound of a text message alert interrupted her peace. Reaching over, she grabbed the phone and swiped to read the message.

"_Els, where are you? I can't find you anywhere"~ J_

Groaning, she typed her reply to let him know that she'd walked home. She hit send and leaned back against the headboard of her bed. She couldn't help but feel annoyed with him. After all their years of friendship, she had hoped that she would mean a lot more to him than she apparently did. The fact that he had only noticed she was gone after twenty-five minutes felt like a slap in the face.

Jack had been her best friend for eleven years. They had met as children when the Frost family had moved in next door to Elsa's own home. As youngsters they had been joined at the hip. Despite their many differences, they had continued to remain good friends. Their relationship confused many. Jack was popular, fun-loving and athletic with a cheeky personality. Elsa, on the other-hand, was reserved, studious and aloof. On the surface they were as different as two people could possibly be. Yet, their friendship was solid.

Elsa groaned. She reached under her bed to grab the photo box that she had stored underneath. Opening the box, she flipped through the pictures. Her mind was a mess. She couldn't understand her feelings. Surely if it was was any other girl who had been flirting with Jack then she'd not have minded. No, she reasoned it was simply the fact that it was _Shawna_ that annoyed her. The girl had made Elsa's life hell for the last four years and Jack knew it. He'd heard her cry because of Shawna's actions countless times in the past. Yet, when Shawna's praise had been on him it had been different. He'd ignored the girl's past misdeeds and had happily paid her the attention she so desperately craved.

Jack Frost. It all came down to him. He was her best friend. He pissed her off with his relaxed attitude to classes and the way he'd make a joke whenever the mood got serious. Not to mention the way he'd behave when they went to the mall where he made it his mission to embarrass her by clowning around, trying on ugly outfits or walking around the store wearing oversized novelty glasses. Naturally, winter was painful and Jack would repeatedly lean in to softly pinch her nose and tell her that 'Jack Frost nipped her nose.'

That's not to say that Jack didn't have his good traits. He had many favourable traits. He was kind, caring, considerate and always put his friends and family first. He would do absolutely anything to make his friends feel better. She still remembered the time when they were eight and she had wet herself while at school. She had been humiliated and had hidden behind one of the large bins while she contemplated her next move. Jack had excused himself to look for her. Upon noticing the wet patch, his eyes had widened and he'd smiled. She had looked at him, waiting for him to laugh at her, but he hadn't. Instead, he had told her to wait there and that he would return, before running off. A few minutes later he returned with his own damp spot. Her tears had made way for a smile and she had accepted Jack's offer to walk back to class together. Of course, people had stared at them, but Jack handled it with ease and simply told people that they were twins.

As they got older, his kind nature had only strengthened. Together, they had faced all that life had thrown at them. He had even been by her side when a case of unrequited love had caused her thirteen-year-old heart to break. He'd wrapped his arms around her shoulder and had told her that the older boy she'd crushed on was a 'stupid-head' for not noticing how amazing she was. After her tears had subsided, he had dug into his backpack and had pulled out a chocolate-chip cookie which he had offered to her, telling her that she needed it more than he did.

Screaming, Elsa threw the photo's off the bed. Shawna could never appreciate Jack. She didn't even know him. All Shawna saw was his good looks. She saw his tousled silver-white hair, his blue eyes and lean, muscular body. She saw his popularity and athleticism, but she didn't see Jack.

Shawna would never see the full extent of Jack's personality. She would never understand how he doted on his much younger sister and would happily play dolls or dress ups with her. She would never appreciate the way Jack would always let his friends choose the movie they saw at the cinema. Shawna only valued his looks and sporting talent. She would never appreciate the kind-hearted, loving, genuine and respectful man that lay underneath his gorgeous exterior

* * *

Jack sighed and got out of his car. He was desperately in need of a shower after his game, but first he needed to see Elsa. Something about the way she had left had troubled him. He'd not failed to notice the way her happy demeanor had changed once Shawna had approached him.

He suspected that the main issue was Shawna's presence, after all, the girl had been a complete bitch to Elsa for the last few years. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that Elsa may be upset with him.

He had caught Elsa looking at him with a frown while he talked to Shawna. He could only guess that it was because she thought he was enjoying the attention from Shawna. After all, Shawna had made it pretty obvious that she was trying to flirt with him. His natural instinct was to dismiss Shawna as quickly as possible and make his way to Elsa. However, he was unwilling to be rude out of fear that Shawna may use it as another excuse to torment Elsa.

As a result, he had been left having an awkward conversation with Shawna for twenty-five minutes. His only relief had come in the form of his teammate, Hugh. It had been pure chance that the tall, good-looking Australian had appeared when he had and had waved at Jack. Seizing the opportunity, Jack had called Hugh over and had introduced him to Shawna who had taken the bait. Jack had then excused himself from the conversation and had made his escape.

Jack raised his hand and knocked on the door of the Andersen home. Within minutes the sound of footsteps could be heard before the door flung over and Anna ushered him in.

"Jack, thank god you're here," she said, dramatically. "Something's up with Elsa. She's been moody since she came home from the game. I heard her scream into her pillow earlier and she's been pacing around her room."

"She only paces when she's worried or feeling confused about something," he pointed out. "Let me see if she'll talk to me."

Jack climbed the stairs which led to Elsa's room. Pausing, he turned to face Anna, giving her a brief smile before he knocked on the door. "Elsa, it's me, Jack," he called out. "Can I come in?"

To his relief the door opened. He looked up and noticed Elsa's tear-stained face. Frowning, he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Oh hey now, what's wrong? Why have you been crying?" he murmured.

He watched as Elsa choked back a tear and shook her head. Sighing, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. She stiffened slightly before her body relaxed in his grasp. He brushed his hand through her hair while she buried her head on his shoulder. His eyes fell on the photo's of them that had been scattered on the floor and he felt his heart sink. It was obvious to him that he was at least part of the reason she was upset.

After a few minutes her sobs subsided. Looking down, he resisted the urge to press a kiss to her tear-stained cheek. He led her to her bed and sat down. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Elsa broke the peace.

"Jack, I'm a bad friend," she whispered.

He felt his eyes widening and turned to look at her in shock. He had no idea how, or why she could possibly think she was a bad friend. She was his best friend and the most incredible woman he knew. If he was a stronger man than he'd tell her the true extent of his feelings for her, but he couldn't. The fear of her not feeling the same way was too strong and so he'd learned to bottle them up and to enjoy simply being with her.

"What?" he spat. "Elsa, how the hell could you say that you are a bad friend?"

"I..uh," she looked at him and stammered. "I can't tell you."

Leaning over, he stroked her chin with his thumb. "Elsa, you are my best friend. You can tell me anything," he coaxed.

He watched her take a deep breath before she pulled back. Her eyes flicked between the ground and his own eyes. "I'm just going to say this really fast. I need to say it or else it will drive me insane. You're going to hate me for it, so I may as well get it over with," she said.

Frowning, he looked at her. His confusion was mounting. He was fairly certain that nothing she could say or do could cause him to hate her. He wanted to reassure her of that, but he held back. Regardless of how he felt, Elsa needed to express herself and to let go of whatever was troubling her.

Timidly she looked at him. "I hate Shawna. There, I said it. I don't like your girlfriend," she confessed. "I'm in love with you. I know that you don't feel the same, but I had to tell you," she finished.

He gasped. His eyes widened as he pulled back to look at her. He watched as Elsa's face turned a deep shade of red and she bowed her head. A wide grin made its way across his face and he shook his head. The words that she'd said danced around his head while he tried to make sense of them.

It felt surreal to him. He'd realised he was in love with her a few years ago. They were thirteen at the time and she had been left heartbroken when the older boy that she'd had a crush on had turned up to school with a new girlfriend. His thirteen-year-old self had flung his arms around Elsa and pulled her close before calling the older male a 'stupid-head'. It hadn't been until later that night when Jack had admitted to himself that he'd felt a sense of relief that Elsa's crush on the boy had ended. Blinking, he looked at her. She was so perfect and beautiful. She could have any guy that she wanted and yet, it seemed that she liked him.

A small gasp escaped Elsa's lips. He looked down and noticed her trying to wriggle out of his grip. He knew that he had to act fast and to let her know that he felt the same way. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. He felt his heart beating as he placed one hand on her waist and pulled her closer to him. He could feel her eyes watching him in curiosity. His spare hand reached to cup her chin, forcing her to look at him. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

He felt her tense up and froze. His mind raced with thoughts of either apologising profusely and begging for her forgiveness, or running as far as possible entered his mind. However, before he could react Elsa had flung her arms around his neck as she returned the kiss.

Breaking apart, he looked at her. "Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to date a bitch like Shawna?" he smirked.

Elsa looked at him and frowned. "You talked to her. You flirted with her," she pointed out.

He sighed. Running a hand through his hair, he looked at her. "I was trying to be polite, El. The girl has been a complete bitch to you for years. I've seen it with my own eyes. Hell, even tonight she was a cow. I saw the way she pushed past you in order to get to me. I didn't speak out because I feared that if I did it would give her another reason to bully you," he reasoned. "I'm sorry if you thought I didn't care. I do care. I just thought that if I was polite then she would leave you alone."

He watched as Elsa blushed and looked away from him.

"Elsa," he probed.

"Mhmm," she murmured and turned to face him.

"I was just wondering. We've never really discussed it and that's my fault," he began softly. "I always thought you were my girlfriend."

He noticed the way her eyes widened and her plum-coloured lips fell to make an 'O' shape. Blushing, he continued. "I mean, I love you. I've been in love with you for the last few years. You're always with me. We've gone to all the dances together and you will be my senior prom date." he paused and looked down. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I've wanted to kiss you and tell you how I feel for ages, but I've held back. I didn't want to risk you not feeling the same way, or to lose you from my life comple-"

His sentence was cut off by Elsa reaching over to cup his chin. He felt his breath hitch as she leaned in and kissed him. He softened and wrapped his arms around her petite figure as he brought her closer to him.

They kissed for a few more seconds before he pulled back to look at her. "So, will you be my girlfriend as well as my best friend?" he whispered.

She smiled and buried her head in the crook of his neck. "I will," she murmured.

"That means I get to hold your hand whenever I want," he said and gripped her hand.

"I also get to kiss you whenever I want," he grinned and leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Best of all, I get to tell you I love you whenever I want," he said.


	16. Chapter 24-You And I

_I know how it goes._

_I know how it goes from wrong and right._

_Silence and sound._

_Did they ever hold each other tight_

_Like us?_

_Did they ever fight_

_Like us?_

_You and I._

_We don't wanna be like them._

_We can make it 'til the end._

_Nothing can come between_

_You and I._

_Not even the Gods above_

_Can separate the two of us._

_No, nothing can come between_

_You and I._

_~You and I~ One Direction~_

The rain was falling hard and fast causing the sound to reverberate inside the small cabin.

Elsa shivered. Rolling over, she noticed that Jack had claimed all of the blankets and left her with only a sheet to cover her. She sighed and got out of bed, making her way over to the heater to crank the dial up.

Settling back onto the lumpy bed, she looked at the young man, who had stolen the blankets, as well as her heart. He had shifted in his sleep so that he was lying sprawled on his back with one arm draped across the pillow and the other dangling over the edge of the bed. A few soft snores escaped his mouth at random intervals. She could feel herself melting as she continued to gaze at him. He always managed to look completely endearing, even in the most ordinary of circumstances.

"Elsa, I know I'm irresistible, but do you really have to stare at me in the middle of the night?" Jack murmured, turning his head to look at her.

She poked him. "More like you stole all the blankets and left me cold," she sassed.

Propping himself up, he shifted to look at her side of the bed before returning his gaze to his own side of the bed where the blankets were piled in an uneven heap. "Oops," he giggled and opened his arms. "Come here. I've got you covered."

Grinning, she shuffled into his embraced and breathed in his scent while he pulled the blankets up to cover them. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer to him. She let out a content sigh and turned to nuzzle her head in the crook of his neck. Her hand reached up to brush a trail through his hair.

"Do you ever think about going back?" Jack asked before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She sighed. "Jack, I'm not sure..." she replied honestly.

She pulled herself out of his grip and into a sitting position while she pondered his question. Beside her, she felt Jack sit up before his lean muscular arms reached to pull her towards him again. He gently shifted her so that she was resting against his chest before he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She let out a sigh. She knew that they would eventually have to give in and go back, but at this point in time she wasn't sure if she was ready.

"We're going to have to face them some time you know," he remarked. "We can't run forever."

She felt her shoulders tense up before relaxing again under Jack's touch. "I know," she admitted. "I'm just not sure I'm ready yet."

To her relief, Jack didn't press the issue. Leaning down, he pressed a few soft kisses to her neck while his fingers moved to massage her shoulders. She let out a soft moan as her body relaxed under his touch.

Her mind flashed back to the day when Jack had proposed. She had never felt happier than when she had cried out to let him know that yes, she would marry him. Her eyes had teared over as he slipped the gorgeous silver engagement ring on her finger. After placing the ring on her finger, he had pressed a kiss to her hand before raising his head to meet her gaze. He had then indicated to the ring and had informed her that he'd chosen the ring because the sapphire jewel, that lay in the centre of it, reminded him of her blue eyes. She'd choked back a tear at his words before burying her head in the crook of his neck. He was the perfect man and she had no doubt that he would make the perfect husband.

Sadly her parents failed to share in her happiness. Instead of celebrating her engagement, they had dismissed it telling her that if she carried on with it she would be making the biggest mistake of her life. Her parents came from old money and placed a lot of value in wealth and social standing. Her father had been fortunate to be born to the owner and CEO of the billion dollar Royalty hotel chain. In his early twenties, he'd met and married her mother, whose father was the CEO of a range of upmarket boutique stores. They had firm ideas of how Elsa's life should pan out and who she should fall in love with. Poor, lower-class Jack Frost did not meet their ideals of a suitable suitor for their princess.

She had tried, over the course of her and Jack's three-year relationship to get her parents to accept his place in her life. She had organised family dinners for her parents and Jack's mum and sister where the families could meet and get to know each other. She had hoped that in doing so, her parents would see that the Frosts were good, honourable people and that she had been blessed to have been accepted into their close-knit family. They had also made it a rule to never shy from the fact that they were together. Jack had felt that honesty was the best policy and encouraged Elsa to always let her parents know that she was with him. He had hoped that by conducting themselves in a mature way that her parents would come around.

Yet, despite being honest about the fact that she was with Jack, her parents had never relented. She had hoped that with time, they would see that her and Jack shared a happy, healthy and loving relationship, but they didn't. Instead, her parents continued to hold the opinion that the couple would not last and that it was simply an act of late rebellion. They remained convinced that Elsa was dating Jack simply to spite them and had made no effort to accept him.

Jack, on the other-hand, had always been the perfect gentleman. He never faltered to behave with class when faced with her parents. He continued to greet them with the same genuine politeness and respect that he showed to everyone and never rose to the bait when her parents made their disapproval known. There were many times when he'd been forced to listen to her father make the not-so-subtle suggestion that he was only with her for her money. It was always the same argument with her parents as they continued to rehash their 'concerns' that Jack came from a lower class and had little money, therefore, Elsa with her large inheritance must have looked quite appealing to him.

The disparaging remarks directed towards Jack and his social status had been made even worse by the fact that Jack's mum Caroline had always been so accepting of their relationship. She had welcomed Elsa into her home and had treated her like part of the family from the very beginning. Like her son, Caroline had always been friendly and respectful in her interactions with Elsa's parents all the while knowing of the comments they had directed at her son and their social status. It had never failed to amaze Elsa that her parents could focus so much on wealth and class, yet the financially poor Frosts continued to show more class and poise than they did.

It had been three weeks ago when Elsa and Jack had first announced their engagement.

Jack had popped the question on the Friday before taking Elsa back to his house where they had spent the entire weekend huddled in his room and had kept her finger hidden from sight.

After coming down from their post proposal high, they had decided to wait for two days before telling people. They had both wanted the time to celebrate the latest development in their relationship before others weighed in with their own opinions. Especially, considering the fact that two of those voices would not hold back with their views.

Caroline Frost had been the first to learn of the engagement. They had told her over lunch on Sunday. Not surprisingly, she had been overjoyed and had leapt from her seat to hug and kiss the couple. She'd then released the couple from her grip to retrieve her own wedding album and had placed it in front of the couple while sharing stories and memories from her own engagement and wedding.

Saving Elsa's parents for last, they had approached cautiously and had waited until just before the family was due to sit down for Sunday dinner to share their news. As expected the response had been the complete opposite to that of Caroline Frost. Her father had told her that it was a mistake and he would not approve. He had then changed tact and expressed outrage that Jack had not sought his permission prior to proposing. Frustrated, Elsa had then pointed out that he had not had any issues with Hans Westergaard, the sleazy heir to the Southern Isles hotel chain, proposing to Anna without seeking approval. Her father had narrowed his eyes and told her that the situation with Hans and Anna had been completely different to that of Elsa and Jack's. Elsa had raised her head to point out that the only difference, asides from the fact that Hans was a snake who had broken Anna's heart, was that Hans came from money and Jack didn't.

Her father had been left stammering as he attempted to regain his composure. Angrily, Elsa had turned to grip Jack's hand and had led him from the room. She'd heard her father shouting at her but ignored him as she stormed into her room. Furious, she had packed an overnight bag before heading back downstairs with Jack on her heel. She had poked her head into the dining room long enough to tell her parents that her fiance and her would not be staying for dinner and would be returning to a home where they were accepted.

The last thing she had heard before they had fled the house had been Jack's voice as he informed her parents that he couldn't care less for her money or status. She'd heard her father raise his voice, but Jack had cut him off and had told him that the fact that they only saw her value based on her wealth and social standing was shameful and that he hoped in time they could see her true worth.

Running away had been her idea. She claimed that they could use the fact that it was currently the Summer holidays to escape. She wanted to go somewhere where they could be together without the pressure they felt at home. Jack had been reluctant at first. He had thought that it was a bad idea and would only make things worse for them. However, he'd caved when he had seen the tears in her eyes. She didn't want to run away, but she had felt they had no choice. She didn't think her parents would ever accept her and Jack.

They had moved quickly. Waking up on Monday morning, Jack had packed a few clothes along with his laptop, phone and a few important documents into an overnight bag. They had then gone to Elsa's home where she had done the same. They had taped a note on the fridge of both homes so that their parents knew not to expect them home for a few days. After leaving Elsa's home, they had stopped at the bank where she had set up a new account before transferring her money over so that her parents could not track their movements.

Getting in Jack's car, they had proceeded to drive for a while until they had come across a small town three hours north of Arendelle. They had found a caravan park where they had booked a cabin for the night. They had switched their phones off, ignoring the angry missed calls and texts and had settled down for the evening.

It had been Elsa's idea to marry at a courthouse. She had been surfing the internet one night when the idea had come to her. She had put forward the suggestion to Jack, who had been curled up beside her. She had claimed that it would be easier for them to have a simple civil ceremony where they would be legally wed without having to plan their wedding and marry under the scornful eyes of her parents. To her relief Jack had agreed, stating that he'd not proposed to Elsa in order to marry in some lavish ceremony. He had gone on to explain that he had popped the question because he was in love with her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her by his side.

They had spent the next morning trawling jewellery shops where they had selected simple, yet classy rings to exchange with each other. They had then made their way to a local courthouse where they had filled in the paperwork needed. Thirty minutes later they had walked out as Jack and Elsa Frost.

That night they had celebrated by going to dinner at a quaint restaurant before retiring to the hotel room that Jack had booked for the night. Elsa had initially rejected the idea and had reminded Jack that they were currently booked in at a cabin. However, he had been firm in his decision. He had put his foot down and stated that while their wedding may have been simple, their wedding night had to be special and that meant spending the evening in the finest hotel that they could find.

"Elsa," Jack interrupted, snapping her from her thoughts.

"Mmm," she murmured and tilted her head to face him.

"I think we need to go home," he stated. "The longer we put it off the harder it's going to get. We're married, El. We are legally wed 21-year-olds. It's time we stop running and face up to them."

She pulled back to look at him. "I know," she sighed. "I've never done anything this impulsive before. I know we're going to face more drama from my parents and your mum for running and for the marriage, but we do need to go home."

Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss on her lips before pulling back to cup her cheek. "I don't regret this, El. I mean we're going to be in trouble and your parents are going to tell you how you've 'made a mistake' and how I'm 'only with you for your money', but we both know that they are wrong. I know that what we have, what we share is special and you can't put a price on it. Besides, whatever they throw at us we'll face it together as a married couple."

Sighing, Elsa looked at her husband. She knew he was right. He was always right about these sort of things and she knew that no matter what happened they would get through it. They had each other and that was what made them truly wealthy.

* * *

**A/N- This one was a special request from the awesome PurpleNinjaCat278 who wrote my favourite Jelsa college AU 'Cold Hearts'**


	17. Chapter 25-Losing Your Memory

"_Call all your friends_

_Tell them I'm never coming back_

_'Cause this is the end_

_Pretend that you want it, don't react_

_The damage is done_

_The police are coming too slow now_

_I would have died_

_I would have loved you all my life_

_You're losing your memory now_

_You're losing your memory now_

_You're losing your memory now_

_You're losing your memory now"_

_~Losing Your Memory~Ryan Star~_

Elsa raced through the cold, clinical halls of the hospital as she made her way towards the all too familiar room. She could feel the tears in her eyes threatening to spill down her face once again, only this time they were tears of joy.

Slipping through the door she saw him, sitting on the edge of the bed. The few possessions he'd had while in the hospital had been packed into a carry bag ready to go home. His head jerked up when he saw her.

"So, looks like the holiday's over. You're stuck with me at home again," he joked, flashing the lopsided grin which she loved so much.

She laughed and leaned down to stroke at his tousled hair. "Well, we know what to do in case you get too annoying," she retorted.

Reaching out he grabbed her, pulling her closer to him, one hand going to her waist while the other went to stroke at her small bump. "So, Daddy's coming home and you have to make sure that Mummy isn't too mean to him," he cooed, placing a kiss on her stomach.

"Ohh, I see how it is. The baby's not even here yet and already it gets kissed before I do," she smirked.

She felt a tug as he pulled her down to sit beside him. "No, it's just I prefer to save the best kisses for last," he said before leaning in to place a sweet kiss on her lips.

She felt herself smiling into the kiss, her hand reaching around to intertwine with his. She'd missed these moments. She'd missed him. "I've missed you," she whispered. "The house isn't the same without you."

Breaking the kiss, he wrapped his arm around her. Smiling, she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder while he turned so that his spare hand could stroke her hair. Neither of them needed to say a word, they were content to just hold each other.

"Ahem," the sound of a small balding man holding a clipboard broke the couple from their bliss. "Jackson Frost, I hear you're finally leaving us."

"Sure thing, Doc. Don't tell me that you won't miss me, though. You know I've livened this place up," Jack shot back, waggling his eyebrows.

The aging doctor laughed. "That is true, you've definitely been one of our more memorable patients. Still, they say all good things must come to an end. I just needed to come run through a few more things with you and get your signature before I kick you out."

Elsa watched as Jack carefully scribbled his signature, signing his release from the hospital before thanking the doctor. She really couldn't fault the hospital for their treatment of him. The staff had provided the best level of care for Jack over the last month and she'd been so impressed with their professionalism that she'd organised for a card to be sent to thank them for their assistance in helping her husband recover.

* * *

_It had been a cold and damp night. Jack and Elsa had been curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around them. They had finally decided on a movie to watch, one which they both agreed on, when the pregnancy cravings had struck._

_Elsa had found herself raiding the freezer in a desperate hunt for peppermint-choc chip ice cream only to discover they had none. They had cake, potato chips and chocolate at their disposal, but no ice cream. She let out a cry of frustration. Prior to getting pregnant she'd assumed that the cravings would never be so bad that she couldn't ignore them. Now she knew that to be a lie. She didn't want peppermint-choc chip ice cream. She needed it._

_"El, what's wrong?" Jack called having risen from the couch, his voice laced with concern._

_She looked at him, trying to hold back the childish disappointment she felt over the lack of ice cream. "N..nothing, it's just.." she stammered._

_She felt his blue eyes on her, probing her. "El," he warned. "I'm your husband, tell me."_

_"We don't have any ice cream," she pouted before gazing at him._

_She waited for him to burst out laughing over the absurdity of her behaviour. Slowly, but surely, a small grin began to appear on his face as he took a step towards her._

_"Don't laugh at me. It's not nice to tease the pregnant lady," she warned._

_Jack shook his head and crossed the divide to pull her into a hug. "Do you want me to go get you some ice cream?" he asked as his long fingers stroked her cheek._

_She nodded, burying her head into his soft jumper. "If you don't mind? I mean, it's getting late and it does seem awfully silly," she admitted._

_She felt a soft kiss on her head. "Hey, it's the least I could do seeing as it's partly my fault you're in this predicament," he joked. "Besides, I learned early on in your pregnancy to never mess with a pregnant woman and her cravings."_

_She chuckled as she watched him grab his wallet from the counter before slipping his feet into the nearest pair of shoes. "How did I get so lucky?" she mused._

_"I ask myself that every day, El," he replied, walking towards the garage._

_She stood back as he started the car up and waited for the roller door to open, letting a cold draft entered the garage. She looked out and saw that the rain was still falling heavily. Leaning down, she placed a kiss on his lips. "Drive carefully. I love you," she murmured._

_"I'll be fine, El. It's only a 5 minute drive. I'll see you in a bit. Love you more," he promised._

_Sighing with content, she made her way back to the couch, stroking her small bump. Neither her or Jack could wait to meet their baby. She'd only found out about the baby a month earlier and was only four months pregnant, but they were both so excited. She still remembered the reaction she'd gotten from Jack when she'd told him the news. He'd been ecstatic and had picked her up to twirl her around before placing her down and placing a series of kisses on her lips then moving to kiss at her stomach._

_The sound of a distant siren pierced the quiet night air. Elsa shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around her. Glancing at the time, she saw it was 9pm. Jack had been gone for almost an hour now. Shrugging, she grabbed the phone, figuring he may have been held up at the store and decided to call him._

_A knock at the door distracted her. She hastily put the phone down and went to answer the door. The sight of two police officers standing at the door shocked her and slowly she unlocked the screen door._

_"Hello, is this the home of Mr Jackson Frost?" the taller man had asked._

_Elsa felt her stomach drop. Silently she prayed that Jack had done something stupid like forgot to pay for an item. "Y..yes, he's my husband," she replied._

_The man sighed and pulled out his badge. "Mrs Frost, my name is Constable Bjorgman. This here is my partner, Constable Westerguard. Is there somewhere we can go to sit?"_

_"Ye..yeah, in..inside," Elsa stammered, leading the two men towards the warm lounge room. She could feel her palms starting to sweat and wondered what sort of trouble Jack had gotten himself into._

_She sat in silence as the officers spoke, telling her that there had been an accident. A young, inexperienced driver had lost control of his car and slammed into Jack's car. Jack had been rushed to the hospital in a critical condition._

_"Mrs Frost, is there someone we can call? We are happy to escort you to the hospital. You can give us the number of a friend, or relative who can meet you there." the smaller, red-headed officer interjected kindly, his green eyes laced with concern._

_"My sister Anna," she cried as the tears streamed down her face._

* * *

Anna raced through the halls. The hospital had called her early in the morning to let her know that Elsa had taken a turn for the worse. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and let herself into her sister's room.

"Elsa," she called, walking up to the bed where her sister lay silently. "Elsa, it's me, Anna, how are you feeling?"

She watched as Elsa blinked absent-mindedly. The sedatives that the hospital had given her had done their job in relaxing her. Frowning, she pulled up a chair and took her sister's limp hand in her own. She could feel the tears fall from her eyes. Her sister who had once been so full of life, was now reduced to an empty shell. Pulling her phone out, she sent a text to her partner, Kristoff, letting him know where she was.

"Jack?" Elsa's voice cried out softly. "Jack, honey, is that you?"

Anna felt the lump forming in her throat again. "No, Elsa, it's Anna. Jack's not here."

"Oh, well wake me when he gets here won't you, Anna?" Elsa mumbled before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Anna sighed, silently willing Kristoff to get there soon. She hated having to be there alone with Elsa.

It had been almost two years since Jack had died. The shock of his death had caused her once vibrant sister to crumble. In losing Jack she had not only lost the love of her life and her best friend, but she'd lost her entire world. The stress of his death had eventually taken its toll and in a cruel final blow she'd miscarried and had lost their baby, his baby.

The cruelty of the situation had sent Elsa into a deep depression and had eventually led her to develop severe delusions. Initially they had thought that Elsa was just living in a dream-like fantasy world, one where Jack had not died and she'd not lost their baby. However, as the months wore on, her behaviour had become more and more troubling.

Elsa had started to turn up at the hospital, making her way to the room where Jack had passed away in, holding firm to the belief that he was well and ready to go home. She'd continued to live her life as if Jack was still present She'd not accept social invites until she had 'checked with Jack' first, all gifts were given from Elsa and Jack and when speaking on the phone she'd pause to cover the mouthpiece while she'd talk to Jack as if he was still alive.

Constable Bjorgman had been fantastic. He'd stayed with Elsa until Anna had arrived at the hospital that fateful night. The sight of Elsa's pregnant frame had worried him, and he'd gone out of his way to deliver a sympathy card and flowers to the house one day when Elsa had been sleeping. Upon seeing the stress on Anna's face he'd invited himself in insisting that the young woman needed a cup of tea and that he was officially off-duty, so technically he was just a nice guy offering some kindness to a grieving family.

Their relationship had blossomed from there. Kristoff had been her rock, holding her securely as she watched Elsa deteriorate. He'd organised for his friends to help them as they packed up Jack and Elsa's home and moved her into Anna's small apartment where Anna could take care of her.

The door opened and her eyes lit up as Kristoff made his way over to her, stopping to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I hate the twelfth day of each month," he muttered, his eyes flicking over to Elsa as she slept. "I hate what it does to your sister."

Anna leaned into him and breathed in his scent. She knew what he meant. It had been the twelfth of July when he'd turned up on Elsa's door step, having to inform her that her husband had died. Ever since then, the twelfth of each month had proved especially challenging.

It had been under the suggestion of a psychiatrist that they'd agreed to place Elsa in temporary care. Their local psychiatric hospital had a wing with a fantastic team of experts who specialised in post-traumatic grief. Elsa had been under their care for the last 4 months and according to Dr Tia Bunnymund there was a chance that she could eventually overcome her illness. It was just going to take time.

* * *

**A/N- This is quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever had to write. I truly love this pairing, and the idea of this amount of pain coming to Jack and Elsa is horrible :'(. That said, I love this song, and when I heard it, I knew I wanted to use it for Jelsa somehow. **

**I had to take several breaks whilst writing this and look at some of my favourite Jelsa artwork/ read some of my favourite Jelsa fluff pieces by other authors.**

*Cries* I love you Jack and Elsa...please don't hate me.

**Keep calm and ship Jelsa**


	18. Chapter 26-Fk Her Gently

_But fellas listen closely_

_You don't always have to fuck her hard_

_In fact sometimes that's not right to do_

_Sometimes you've got to make some love_

_And fucking give her some smoochies too_

_~Fuck Her Gently~ Tenacious D~_

Jack frowned. He tried to remember how it was that he came to end up lying on the cold hard tiles of his friend's kitchen, but his mind was drawing blanks. Groaning, he flipped over onto his stomach and stroked at the cold tiles absent-mindedly.

"Kristoff, hey, Kristoff, did you know that your kitchen floor is really nice?" he called.

He paused, unsure as to whether the brawny male had heard him. Shrugging, he rolled over to rest on his back. The boredom was killing him. He didn't feel ready to get up yet, but he couldn't handle the lack of fun that had clouded his night. Suddenly inspiration struck and he found himself spreading his arms from his side to above his head and back again before kicking his legs out to the side and bringing them back to a close again.

The sound of loud chuckles could be heard. Pouting, Jack turned to face the direction of the laughter. His face relaxed when he realised it was only Kristoff, who was leaning against the doorframe.

"What are you doing, Frost?" he asked, slapping one hand to his thigh as he struggled to contain his laughter.

Jack grinned at him. "Making snow angels..duh."

Kristoff raised an eyebrow and stared at him. "On my kitchen floor?" he asked.

"Yep. I like your floor. I've never told you that before, but you have a good floor," Jack slurred while trailing his hand over the floor.

"I think it's time we looked at getting you home," Kristoff sighed. "It's getting late and I really don't feel like spending any more time babysitting a drunken Jack Frost."

Jack glared at him. He stumbled slightly as he attempted to get to his feet. "I'll have you know I am most definitely not drunk," he declared crossing his arms in defense. "I've only had a little bit to drink."

He felt a pair of strong arms grab him and guide him towards the couch in the lounge room. "Mate, you're drunk. You've downed half a carton of beer in the six hours that you've been here. Your speech is slurred. Also, I'm pretty sure any longer and Elsa may have reason to be jealous of my floor."

"Elsa's my wife," warned Jack, poking his thin finger in Kristoff's chest. "She's not your wife. Your wife is Anna."

Kristoff laughed. "Not yet she isn't. You have one more week. This time next week Elsa will be your wife. At the moment she's still your fiancee."

"You can't have her!" Jack argued and narrowed his eyes. "Besides, she's not here."

The sound of Kristoff's laughter filled the room once again. "Relax, Romeo, I'm perfectly happy with Anna thank you very much," Kristoff said.

Jack sank back onto the couch. "Kristoff," he began. "I think I want to go home now. It's been fun drinking with you, but I want Elsa. You're not as pretty as Elsa."

Kristoff gasped. "You know, Frost, I don't know whether to be offended or relieved that you don't find me pretty," he joked.

Jack groaned. Lying back on the couch, he waited for Kristoff to call Elsa. He grabbed a spare cushion and pulled it over his face, blocking out the harsh, unforgiving light. Suddenly the beers he'd consumed didn't seem like such a good idea, not with the threat of a hangover looming. Still, people had insisted he had a few drinks to celebrate his last week as an unmarried man and he had reasoned that it would be rude to deny the advice.

Jack hadn't been sure of how to celebrate. He had no desire to partake in the stereotypical bachelor night shenanigans and had opted for a simple pizza and beer night at the home that Kristoff and Anna shared. Elsa had chosen to hold her bachelorette night on the same evening and had decided on a movie night with her sister and her closest girlfriends. A low-key evening shared with friends before the big event.

Jack had been dropped off a few hours earlier. Elsa had stopped long enough to place a kiss on his lips before she'd collected Anna. Not long after the girls had left, had the guys started to arrive. A small collection of Jack's best friends had come armed with a slab of beer and money to donate towards pizza.

The night had ended considerably early for a bachelor's night, with the last of Jack's friends leaving just before 11pm citing tiredness from the working week or family responsibilities as an excuse. Groaning, Jack had watched them leave before turning to mumble something to Kristoff about his desire to continue celebrating. To his relief Kristoff had agreed and had sat down and cracked open another beer before excusing himself to go tend to his dog, Sven.

"The girls are on their way," Kristoff spoke while pulling the cushion from Jack's face. "Don't you dare fall asleep on me, Frost."

Jack grinned. "I'm not sleeping. I have to go home and make love to Elsa," he slurred.

"I really don't need to know that," Kristoff warned as he moved about the small room tidying up.

Jack ignored him and slid his feet into his sneakers. "No, Kristoff, you know, I'm going to help you out. I'm a bit of a love expert...well Elsa loves me anyway," he babbled. "I'm going to tell you the secret to keeping your woman happy okay?"

"Oh you really don't have to do that," Kristoff grunted before tossing an empty can at Jack's head.

"But I want to. That's what makes me so nice," Jack beamed, tossing the can into the nearest bin. "You see, Kristoff, when you are with a woman, you need to remember to say nice stuff to them. You must tell them you love them. Sometimes you have to watch a shitty romance movie with them, and buy them chocolate. Girls love chocolate."

Kristoff snorted and crushed the last of the pizza boxes in the garbage bag. "Mate, tell me something I don't already know. You have no idea how much trouble I got into the one time I made the mistake of eating the last of Anna's chocolate."

Jack watched with amusement as Kristoff proceeded to fill the sink with warm water and piled the dirty dishes in to soak. "Kris, you know I'mma get personal here, but you got to know this stuff," he slurred. "When you and Anna get intimate, you have to make sure to switch it up. Don't just go hard and fast. Sometimes you need to go slow in bed. Trust me, the chicks love it. Take Elsa, for instance she lo-"

"That's enough, Jack. I really do NOT want to hear about what you and Elsa do in the bedroom" Kristoff chided before turning his back on him.

"But she's so hot and her body is perfection," whined Jack, pulling open the fridge. "Also I need another drink. I'm going to get more beer."

Jack grabbed a beer. He'd just popped the tab to open it when the front door opened and the sound of Elsa laughing happily with Anna stole his attention. Dropping the beer, he ran tripping ever so slightly over his feet. "Elsa, baby girl. I love you. I'm going to go home and make love to you," he cried. "Nice and slow baby, nice and slow, not har-"

Jack was cut off by Elsa clamping a hand over his mouth. A deep blush had crossed her face. "I'm sorry about the beer this idiot dropped," she said watching as Kristoff wiped at the spilled liquid.

"Honestly, Elsa, the beer is the least of my worries. That said, you may want to keep an eye on how much Jack drinks. He seemed determined to tell me about your... err... bedroom habits," Kristoff snorted, flinging the wet tea towel over his shoulder.

Jack chuckled as he watched Elsa bury her face in her hands. "Thanks for putting up with him. I swear, it's a good thing I love him...otherwise he'd be in trouble," she laughed, before gripping at his hand and pulling him to the door.

* * *

Slowly they had made their way home. Switching off the engine, Elsa couldn't help but smile when she had looked over to see Jack asleep in his seat. She had toyed with the idea of leaving him to rest in the car before gently prodding him awake. She'd slid his arm around her shoulder and had guided him to their bedroom.

"Elsie" he mumbled, stifling a yawn. "I really do love you and I really do want to make love to you, slowly as well as hard and fast."

She sighed and helped him to lie on their bed, carefully pulling his shoes off before slowly undressing him and helping him into his pyjama pants. "I know, Jack, I love you too," she admitted.

She turned to look at him. A small smile escaped her when she realised he'd fallen asleep.

* * *

**A/ N- This was a request by my awesome friend and fellow author OniNoKo. I'd not heard of the song before but, well, she's going to do a prompt that I suggested (*cough* Bloodhound Gang song), and so when she asked me to do this song I couldn't really refuse ;).**

I really couldn't see trying to write a smut piece to this so I figured why not have a drunk Jack try and get a bit revealing. The 'touchy feely with kitchen tiles' is actually from my own experiences. I've watched friends who get very interested in the texture of things when drunk- and tend to find the most ordinary stuff fascinating (like kitchen tiles or even someones face).


	19. Chapter 24- Good Girls

"_She said to me,_

_Forget what you thought_

_'Cause good girls are bad girls that haven't been caught._

_So just turn around and forget what you saw_

_'Cause good girls are bad girls that haven't been caught."_

_-Good Girls- 5 Seconds Of Summer _

Jack smirked. He leaned against the janitor's shed with the cigarette carefully balanced between his fingers. The school bell rung in the the distance, but he ignored it. He'd been sent to this god-forsaken school with a bad-boy reputation and he was determined to uphold it.

It wasn't that he was intentionally a bad kid, it just happened that he had managed to get in a few too many fights at his previous schools. After a while, the reports had built up and he had been deemed a troublesome student.

The first school to kick him out had done so after he'd given Adrian Gaston, the school bully, a black eye for the third time in as many days. What hadn't been revealed was the fact that sixteen-year-old Adrian had made yet another nasty dig at Jack's family. For months he had followed Jack around, telling all that would listen that Jack's mother, Caroline, had taken up prostitution in order to put food on the table. Jack had done his best to ignore the taunts. However, it had been the cruel suggestion that the Frosts' should send Jack's eight-year-old sister to 'work the streets' that had really made him mad. A furious Jack had grabbed the bully and bailed him against a wall before he had proceeded to punch him until his fist had become numb.

When they had been called to the principal's office, Jack had kept his mouth shut. He hadn't liked the school or the students that attended. He sure as hell wasn't going to try and excuse himself for having chosen to defend his family. It was true, the Frost family were poor, but they were also close-knit. Jack would never apologise for trying to protect his family against those who dared offend them.

The second school that had kicked him out had done so after three months. He had made an ill-informed choice to hang out with the backstabbing Edward 'Pitch' Black. In the beginning, Pitch had seemed cool and had made Jack feel slightly rebellious. Hanging with Pitch had given him a false sense of security and he'd felt untouchable. Pitch's reputation for being 'tough' had meant that no one dared insult Jack for fear of what Pitch would do to them. Of course, the rumours had been there. People had been quick to warn Jack against Pitch and had claimed him to be untrustworthy, but Jack had shrugged them off. Pitch was his mate and Jack had never done anything wrong, he had never given Pitch any reason to betray him. He had continued to ignore the warnings that surrounded his friendship with Pitch until they had come to be true

The police had been called to the school to conduct a random drug search on a Monday morning. Jack had thought nothing of it. Although he had been offered drugs in the past, he'd never opted to try them and had no reason to be concerned by random searches. When the school principal had turned up at the door of his science class flanked by two police officers he had thought nothing of it. Getting called out of class in front of the other students had been embarrassing for him. However, nothing had prepared him for the shame he'd felt in trying to explain to his mother how a bag of marijuana had ended up in his backpack.

His friends had begged him to dob Pitch in and to tell the police that he had been framed, but he refused. He had seen what Pitch was capable of and he didn't want the fear of being on his bad side. He had a single mother and a young sister to protect and if it meant he had to take the blame for Pitch in order to keep them safe, then so be it.

His current school was his last chance before boarding school. After a few stressful nights, Jack's mother had called upon her parents and had asked them to help foot the bill to send him to a stuffy catholic school in an upper class suburb.

Jack hated the school The list of issues he had with the posh school was long. For starters, there was the fact that he had to wake at a ridiculous time in order to make the forty-five minute drive across town to attend class. After he'd arrived at the school, he'd park his beaten up Ford in the school parking lot where it stood out amongst the brand new Mercedes and BMWs that the majority of the student population drove. The school's uniform was another thing which he loathed. It was bad enough that he'd been forced to endure the bland grey trousers, stiff white shirt, grey tie and itchy grey jumper on a weekly basis. However, it was the list of rules which dictated not only _what _he wore, but _how _he wore them that really annoyed him. The list of rules on uniform care had been pinned up on the bulletin board in the laundry with one of the points even being on how to properly wash the clothes. Jack had scoffed at the list before ranting to his mum that the list was nothing more than an overly pretentious set of rules set out by a committee that thought far too highly of their 'educational institution.'

The staff and students at his new school were just as bad as the committee that watched over them. A large proportion of his fellow students were arrogant, condescending and on a never ending mission to outdo one another. He still remembered his first day at the school when he'd watched a girl break down in tears upon learning that her so-called rival would be spending three weeks in Paris over Summer whereas she was being 'forced' to endure four weeks in London. If that hadn't been amusing enough, he'd then had to stifle a laugh at the reaction his aging Nokia phone had received when he'd pulled it out from his pocket. The students had crowded around him before pulling out their current-model smartphones to snap a picture of the 'ancient' technology. One curious student had even dared to ask Jack if he was poor and had spat the word out as if it was a disease that could be caught simply by mentioning it. Jack had simply raised his eyebrow at the student and remained tight-lipped which only served to add to the intrigue that had surrounded his transfer.

The reasons behind his sudden appearance at the posh private school had apparently caught the interest of the student body. His car and mobile phone had apparently been enough to alert others to the fact that he wasn't 'one of them'. By the end of his first two weeks he'd heard many rumours about his situation. Depending on who you spoke to Jack was either; the leader of a gang, a small time drug dealer, lived in the grungiest suburbs, responsible for beating up one of the teachers at his last school, or had been involved in a forbidden affair with a young teacher. On the flip side, he had also heard that he was allegedly the illegitimate child of a high-ranking senator and his mistress. His sudden enrolment was rumoured to be the result of his mother blackmailing his father in order to secure Jack's place in the school.

The lies didn't bother him. If anything, they helped him by ensuring that he was mostly left alone. It seemed that most students were scared he would either beat them, or that they could catch 'poor' by being near him. The teachers also seemed to avoid him and rarely called on him in class. It appeared that the rumours of his so-called instability had reached them and they believed him to be likely to snap or bring their class into upheaval.

Still, despite the overwhelming abundance of snobs in the school, not everyone was a complete write-off. Jack had somehow managed to form a weird friendship with a fellow student. He'd bumped into a shaggy haired boy by the name of Henry 'Hiccup' Haddock after a month of attending the school. Like him, Hiccup was a bit of a loner. However, unlike Jack, Hiccup came from a wealthy family. His father was the mayor of a local council and his mother was a respected zoologist. Despite his pedigree, Hiccup was far from snobbish. In fact, he claimed himself to be the black sheep of his family and stated that his interests in dragons and viking mythology made him a disappointment.

Jack didn't know how or when they had become mates, or even if they really were friends. He just knew that as the weeks passed he'd taken to sitting next to Hiccup in class and had eventually joined him in the library at lunchtime where they would sit quietly before exchanging a few random tidbits.

Then there was her. Elsa Marie Andersen, the school's reigning ice queen. Jack noticed her the very first day. She was impossible not to notice. She moved through the school with poise with her platinum blonde hair impeccably styled and the little makeup she wore perfectly highlighting her flawless features. She intrigued Jack with the way she moved and spoke. He'd heard the way others talked about her. They said that she was 'Miss Perfect' and was the daughter of a high ranking judge with perfect grades and perfect attendance. She was also known for saying very little and dismissing all who dared approach her with a polite, albeit somewhat contrived speech. There was no denying she was incredibly beautiful, quite possibly the most beautiful girl to ever exist, but she was also untouchable and deemed too hard by most students.

He tried, like all the others did, to gain her attention. He desperately wanted to get more out of her than a boring dismissive response. However, unlike their classmates who saw her aloofness as a challenge and a source of amusement, he knew better.

Their fellow students saw the beautiful and seemingly uncaring 'Ice Queen.' However, Jack saw her differently. He noticed the way she avoided eye contact as much as possible as if she didn't want to be seen. He saw the way she would always choose the seat up the front of the room and closest to the door while her eyes constantly flicked between those around her and the door as if checking for her exit route. She carried herself with an undeniable poise, however, when she wasn't carrying her books her arms were tightly wound around her waist. It was almost as if she was protecting herself from something or someone. To others she was aloof. However, Jack saw someone who was clearly holding something back and he was determined to help her.

His technique was lame. He simply refused to give up on her. He was fortunate to share quite a few classes with her which gave him ample opportunity to work on his approach. He started by sitting next to her and ignoring the cold stare which she gave him. Once he'd settled in his seat, he'd ask her a question which would be met with a curt response. Jack knew that people were watching them as he spoke to her. The same students would watch him while he traipsed after her between classes, telling her lame jokes in an attempt to get a reaction. He knew that he was annoying her and that she was growing frustrated with him. He didn't blame her for being angry either. He was making a spectacle out of her when all she wanted to do was fade into the background.

It was her sister that finally caused her to break down in front of him. He was heading to his car on a Friday afternoon. He'd just pulled the itchy jumper off and had untucked the stiff shirt while breathing in the the smell of freedom. He had been about to reach for a cigarette when he'd noticed her. She had been involved in what looked to be an argument with a younger girl who was talking animatedly. He'd watched the two girls bicker before his eyes had fallen on Hans, an arrogant senior, who had stood by awkwardly and watched the girls. Jack had noticed the way Elsa's hands had reached for the younger girl as if trying to help her see her point before she'd pulled back and had wrapped them around herself. The younger girl had then said one last thing to Elsa before turning on her heels and angrily pulling Hans towards his own. The girl dubbed the 'ice queen' had then proceeded to crumble before leaning against her silver BMW for support.

Jack had reached her side before he knew what he was doing. Reaching into his pocket, he had dug out a clean pack of tissues and offered her one to dab her tears with. Her blue eyes had widened before she timidly accepted the tissue and straightened up. Within an instant she had regained her composure and the mask that she wore had settled on her face once again. Jack had no idea how he'd come to the conclusion that they were sisters. It wasn't like they had talked about it. He reasoned that it was the way the younger girl had affected her that had suggested they were related. After all, he had seen plenty of people try and break her walls and had even tried it himself only to be unsuccessful. Yet, with only a few choice words the red-headed girl had reduced her to tears which told him that she was someone who Elsa cared for deeply.

At first he had said nothing. He pulled out a cigarette before hastily putting it back after noticing the harsh glare that Elsa had shot at him. Once the cigarette had been returned to its packet, he'd leaned against her car while trying to ignore the speed at which his heart had been beating. He'd felt Elsa's eyes staring at him as if daring him to say anything and so he had.

He had spoken out and had made a light-hearted comment about how frustrating younger sisters could be. He'd reasoned that they knew exactly how to drive their older siblings crazy while they remained smug in the knowledge that they would always have someone who looked out for them. Beside him Elsa had let out a soft scoff. Encouraged, he'd then told her about his sister, Emily, and how he dreaded the day when she discovered boys out of fear that she'd choose to pursue a moron like Hans. The insult to Hans had earned a derisive snort from Elsa and he'd taken it as a cue to continue. Raising his eyebrow, he'd then proceeded to adopt a haughty accent and had pranced around doing his best impression of the stuck-up male which had earned him a small giggle.

Once their laughter had subsided, she had vented. She'd stared straight ahead at the emptying car-park and had spilled out all her emotions. Shaking her head, she'd told him how her sister, Anna, was fourteen going on twenty-four. She had let out a soft sigh before telling him how her and her sister's close relationship had soured recently thanks to the younger girl's interest in Hans. She hated Hans, however, her sister and their family believed him to be a decent guy from a wealthy and powerful family. It was a surprising turn of events for Jack. To think that after weeks of bad jokes and annoying questions, it was their younger siblings and their less-than-favourable opinion of Hans that had seen her say more to him than ever before.

To this day, he still doesn't know why he asked her out that afternoon. It may have been concern for her emotional it was pride, he had been the one who had made her laugh and had stopped her crying. All he knew was that he felt she needed a reason to smile more often and he wanted to be there when she did. With that in mind, he'd suggested they go for ice cream. He'd chuckled at her surprised expression and had told her to name the place and he'd follow her where he would pay for both of their orders. He hadn't expected her to agree, but she had and had told him of a cafe that she loved not far from her own home.

Jack had then followed her while she drove her car back to her large home. After she had parked her car, she had run to him and had taken a seat in his beat-up car and directed him to a small cafe in an upmarket suburb. Ever the gentleman, he had instructed her to wait in the car so that he could run around and open the door for her. They had then entered the cozy establishment and had opted to sit at a small table tucked in the corner. After browsing the menu, they had put in their orders and Jack had reassured Elsa that it was his treat and he would not accept any financial contribution. She'd looked like she had wanted to argue, but the quick delivery of their ice cream had distracted her train of thought.

They remained silent for a while until Elsa had finally spoken. Jack had sat quietly while she vented about life and the pressure she felt to be 'perfect.' He had said nothing while she went on to tell him how she hated the 'ice queen' label that people associated with her. She claimed that what people viewed as her being cold and standoffish, was actually her own insecurities and low esteem. Her eyes had widened in shock before she'd lowered her head and murmured that she'd never told anyone that. Timidly, she had begged him to not tell anyone about what she had said. She feared that people would laugh and add it to the list of other reasons why they thought her a freak.

Instinctively, Jack had reached for her hand. He'd placed his large masculine hand over her own smaller and daintier one before telling her that her secret was safe with him. She'd then looked at their connected hand and had inhaled softly. Jack had released his hold on her hand before returning his attention to his food. He'd held her hand for less than a minute, but in that minute he'd realised that he wanted more. She needed comfort and support. She was clearly in need of someone to listen to her and he wanted to be that person. He craved the opportunity to be the one she turned to for support.

From there, their relationship had blossomed slowly. He noticed when he returned to school the following week that she no longer glared at him when he took his seat beside her. When he spoke to him she would give him a genuine answer, albeit still delivered in a short, concise reply while she fixed her attention on their teacher. Two weeks later, she found him in the library where she had bashfully placed her books on the table opposite him and Hiccup. She had said nothing and had only given a small smile before directing her attention to her textbook. She had offered no explanation for her sudden appearance at their table and ignored the open-mouthed stare from the bewildered Hiccup.

She continued to sit with them in the library. With time, Hiccup had put aside his shock and had accepted her presence. The boys would talk as normal and would mention Elsa's name so that she knew she was welcome to participate in their conversation. Slowly, she began to talk to them. She began with simple comments that offered little personal insight. She would simply ask Hiccup questions about his cat, Toothless, or would ask Jack about his sister. After a while, she began to reveal small insights into her own life and told them about her own likes and dislikes. The three of them were an odd trio; the princess, the nerd and the bad-boy. Still, they had found each other and in doing so they had slowly, but surely, made school a slightly less lonely place for themselves.

Their first kiss had come as a result of their first fight. Jack had found her crying in her car after yet another fight with Anna and had confronted her. She'd tried to push him away. She'd cried to him through the open window that it didn't involve him and that he ought to leave her alone. Annoyed, Jack had ignored her and had opened the door to climb into the passenger seat. She'd glared at him and her face had hardened while she'd ordered him to leave. Jack in return, had snapped at her. He'd argued that she had no right to let him in so far before daring to try and push him away again. He'd reasoned that it was unfair given that she knew he cared for her and yet she was denying him the chance to be there for her. They had argued for a few minutes. She maintained that he had no right to know all her business. She had called him a cocky delinquent while he claimed that she was a snob who always played by the rules.

Then she'd kissed him.

Leaning over, she had pressed the shortest of kisses to his lips. Shocked, his eyes had widened and he'd noted the slight smirk on her face. His shock had made way for desire and he'd leaned in to cup her rosy cheek before placing a soft kiss on her lips. He'd expected her to slap him before letting fly with a torrent of abuse, but she hadn't. Instead, he'd felt her body relax before she'd leaned in closer to him and had wrapped her free arm around him to deepen the kiss.

Breaking apart, he had rested his forehead against hers before glancing into her blue eyes. She'd blinked at him before returning his gaze and he knew that he'd done it. He'd broken her walls. She had been the first to pull back from their intimate position. A deep blush had crept across her face while she looked at him. Coughing, he had excused himself and had told her to call him that night before returning triumphantly to his car.

They had gone their separate ways with the knowledge that nothing could ever be the same between them. Elsa had realised that no matter how hard she resisted, Jack would always call her bluff and would challenge her to let him be there for her. Jack, in return, had kissed goodbye to any hope of maintaining his bad-boy reputation. He'd let down his own guard and had revealed to Elsa that she would always be his weakness.

Eight months had passed since Jack Frost the 'not-so-bad boy' from the wrong side of town and Elsa Andersen the warm-hearted 'ice queen' had become a couple. Their relationship had confused many and there were those who had been opposed to them being together. Elsa's own father had been wary until Jack had met with him and had discussed the real reason behind his expulsions from his previous schools and his interest in Elsa. Fortunately, the man had warmed to him and Jack had quickly become a welcomed guest in the Andersen home.

The rumours about their relationship had sprung up quickly. Some had said that Elsa was simply rebelling and trying to prove that she wasn't a 'goody-two-shoes'. Other rumours claimed that Jack was a player and Elsa was destined to become one of a long line of girls who would end up broken hearted. Jack didn't care about the petty gossip from fellow students. He knew the truth. Elsa had stolen his heart and had made him putty in her hands. She was the reason he woke with a smile on his face.

They still fought from time to time. Most of their arguments were small and centred around the times when he felt Elsa was being too serious about a subject while she believed him to be too relaxed. At times, she still tried to retreat into herself and keep her feelings and emotions bottled up. When she did, he would always be there to wrap her tightly in his arms and ignore her orders for him to leave. Still, despite their minor arguments and the fact that on the surface they appeared to be too different, their relationship was solid. At the end of the day they both realised that they would always fight for each other.

"You're meant to be in class, Jackson Frost" a soft voice said.

Grinning, Jack looked up to find himself face to face with a smirking Elsa. "So are you, Elsa Andersen," he countered. "I thought you were a good girl."

He watched as Elsa stepped forward to take what was left of his cigarette before dropping it to the ground and stubbing it out. Stepping closer, she pressed her body against his and wrapped her arms around his neck before leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"You know what they say," she said. "Good girls are just bad girls who haven't been caught."


	20. Chapter 20- Leave A Light On

"_Although I have to go_

_It makes me feel like crying_

_I don't know when I'll see you again_

_Darling leave a light on for me_

_I'll be there before you close the door_

_To give you all the love that you need_

_Darling leave a light on for me_

_'cause when the world takes me away_

_You are still the air that I breathe"_

_~Belinda Carlisle, Leave A Light On~_

A loud yawn escaped Elsa's lips, the third in as many minutes. Reaching for the remote, she dimmed the sound of the television before setting the sleep timer to automatically switch off after three hours. Placing the remote down, she flicked the small coffee table light on.

She let out a soft groan as she stood to her feet. Slowly, she shuffled over to the light switch and flicked the overhead light off. A soft glow filled the lounge room. From the outside, the soft beams of light would give the impression that someone was still wide awake in the modest suburban home. Once satisfied, she turned on her aching heels and padded down the hallway towards the master bedroom.

A loud snort could be heard as she passed the guest room. Gently, she tiptoed closer and pushed open the door. A wide smile crossed her face as she caught sight of her younger sister, Anna, sprawled on her back with her strawberry-blonde hair lying in a tangled mess around her. Raising her hand to her mouth, she suppressed the urge to giggle as she watched Anna clumsily shift position in her sleep. The younger girl had gone to bed an hour earlier after claiming that the events of the day had left her exhausted. She'd tried to point out that the day had been more physically demanding on her, but her sister had held firm to her belief that she was more tired and had run from the room before anything further could be added to the debate.

Shaking her head, she stepped out of the room and pulled the door closed behind her. Shuffling across the dimly lit hall, she entered her room. Her lips curled up into a smile as she made her way towards her queen-sized bed, the covers already pulled back in preparation, and collapsed onto it. Reaching her hand down, she gripped at the warm covers and pulled them over herself. The thick blankets that draped loosely around her weary body were a physical reminder of the emptiness that consumed her heart and her home.

She always hated it when work commitments took Jack away from her. While she remained an independent woman and was more than capable of holding down the home without her 26-year-old husband, it didn't make his absence any easier on her. In fact, as the years had passed, being without him had become harder for her to deal with.

At first she had been happy for Jack's work success. After all, when they had first met, eight years earlier, he had told her of his desire to work as a bodyguard. It had been his dream to be accepted into the highly-respected Guardians' Personal Security Corporation, a company that supplied bodyguards to clients. His protective nature, conflict resolution skills and sense of values had been some of the things which had attracted her to him and it had seemed fitting that he would use his strengths in his chosen career.

When his application to join the Guardians' had been accepted, four years ago, it had been a cause for celebration. Finally, all his training and determination to succeed had been rewarded. The fact that he had received the call to say that he'd been approved on their first wedding anniversary had made it even more special.

The first two years that Jack had spent working as a bodyguard had been fantastic. Despite his young age and slight frame, he had quickly earned a reputation as being one of the best in his field. As such, he had been chosen to work for some of the biggest names in showbusiness. Fortunately, the celebrities that he had worked for had been relatively undemanding. The majority of his assignments had seen him hanging in the background at premieres or public appearances. At the worst, the biggest issue he had faced had been when he'd had to encourage an over-excited fan to take a step back.

Jack's friendly disposition, youthfulness and strength had seen him become highly respected by his celebrity charges and he had been recommended to other A-listers. The flow-on-effect had meant that she had been granted permission to attend a few premieres when Jack had been hard at work. However, his blissful history of working for some of the top stars had come to an abrupt halt eighteen months ago thanks to a new client that had specifically demanded her husband's exclusive services and had thrown down a financial incentive which had seemed too good to be true.

Justyn-with-a-y had risen to celebrity status in his mid teens after he'd been discovered on a local talent show. Justyn's boyish appearance and infectious songs had earned him a legion of devoted fans around the world. His talent was undeniable and he had been fortunate to collaborate on hits with some of the biggest names on the planet. Yet, despite a string of successful performances, it had been his behaviour off-stage which had seen him making headlines. The sudden attention that had been heaped onto the singer had seen the formerly mild-mannered youth disappear, only to be replaced with an arrogant and controversial young man. The boy who had once been his hometown hero had changed into someone with an overblown ego and a defiant attitude. Sudden wealth and a partying lifestyle hadn't helped and the young pop star had developed a dependency on mind-altering drugs and alcohol, which had only caused him to spiral further out of control.

As Justyn's chosen bodyguard, Jack had been involved in several brawls on behalf of his charge. His most serious injury to date had seen him return home with a broken arm, the result of having had to step in when the brattish pop star had let fly with a string of racially insensitive comments. Black eyes, bruises and cuts had become the norm and had often been found on her husband's face and knuckles when he had returned home.

As the months had worn on, she had started to voice her dissatisfaction with her husband's charge. Her concern had been for his safety and she had grown weary of seeing the man that she loved covered in bruises. What's more, it had played on his own morals and he had freely admitted to her that the blame for ninety-five percent of his charge's troubles had fallen solely on the singer. However, the contract that he had signed had been iron-clad and had tied him to Justyn for a minimum of two years. Therefore, she had relented and had simply asked Jack to not accept a renewal.

Her pleas had become more urgent seven months earlier, when she had discovered that she was pregnant with their first child. It had been like a switch had been flicked inside of her and her concern for Jack had changed. Her primary interest had ceased to be the worry that she felt for her husband. As an expectant mother, her focus had shifted to the small bundle of joy that was growing inside of her. Upon learning that their baby was to be a boy, Jack had come up with a list of activities to do with their son. Her maternal instincts had kicked in and she had become fixed on the idea that their son would grow up with an active father and not one that had to spend his free time tending to wounds, or being called out at the last minute to protect a spoiled brat.

Their unborn son had been the excuse that Jack had needed and he had finally heeded her request. His boss had already been informed of his desire to cease his contract with the singer at the end of the two years. However, regardless of his intention to sever ties, he had still been forced to complete the duration of his time with Justyn. With six months left of his contract, he had been dealt a blow when the singer had announced a world tour.

The ten-week tour, which had kicked off just under three months earlier, had seen Jack travelling the world as part of the singer's entourage. The tour had kicked off locally and had spanned the length of the globe. Prior to leaving, Jack had hoped to have managed to get a week holiday, during which he'd planned to return home to her. However, Justyn had shot down the idea. Threats of physical violence had been made towards him and he had insisted on Jack staying back to protect him. The news of her husband's planned break being cancelled had left her devastated. She had felt like her world had crashed around her, the short seven days was to have been one of the last times when she could enjoy the company of her husband prior to their son's birth. Begrudgingly, she had accepted the change of plans and had focused her attention on counting the days until the end of the tour.

With one week left of the tour, she had been ecstatic. Having entered her final month of pregnancy, she had been eagerly awaiting Jack's return. While she had been fortunate enough to have her sister visit her daily, it had not filled the emptiness that had been left without Jack. It had been during this time when she had received the call to let her know that Justyn had extended the tour a further two weeks. She had been livid. The times when Jack had been left bruised and beaten because of the singer had paled in comparison to the realisation that her husband would not be around for their son's birth.

A lone tear rolled down her eyes. Sniffing, she shifted position to lie on her side. She had assumed that Jack would be with her in the hospital room when she brought their son into the world. Alas, it wasn't to be. Instead, she had been forced to ask Anna to accompany her as she gave birth. There would be no photo's of her and Jack gathered on the hospital bed with their newborn bundled in their arms. Instead, the pictures would be only of her and would be sent via text message to Jack. Their son would not know his father for the first two weeks of his life and that pained her, especially as the phone service between their home in suburban Arendelle and the foreign city of Burgess was unreliable.

When he had left, Jack had promised her that he'd leave his phone on at all times and that he would place it on silent when supervising gigs. However, he had apparently had a change of heart in the last twelve hours and had turned it off. Attempts had been made to call him all day and had remained unanswered. He'd completely missed hearing about the medical worry that she'd endured

She had been sitting down to lunch when the pain had started. The sensation had been unlike anything she had ever experienced and she had been left certain that it was a sign that she was going into labour. Two hours at the hospital had seen her given a thorough check up and sent home with the explanation that she had experienced false labour, something which was apparently common for first time mothers. The experience had left her exhausted and while she had been grateful for Anna's presence, she had still wished that the hand she'd held onto as she'd arrived at the hospital had been Jack's.

* * *

Jack let out a loud yawn as he gently placed his heavy suitcase down on the floor. Wearily, he looked around the dimly lit lounge room and smiled. The TV playing softly in the background and the coffee table lamp left on told him that his wife had gone to bed. Letting out a sigh of relief, he reached over for the remote and switched the television off before turning his attention to the lamp. Although he hated being away from home, it brought him a small sense of comfort to know that Elsa had taken his security concerns to heart and had followed his suggestions to ensure her safety.

The thought of leaving her was tough at the best of times, but having been forced to be away from her in recent weeks had been agony. As an expectant father, it had pained him to know that he had missed out on most of the last trimester of his unborn son's development. Sure, he'd received regular updates and had seen plenty of progress photo's as Elsa's bump had expanded, but it hadn't been the same. Instead of curling up in bed with one arm holding his wife close and the other on her swollen belly, he had been working for an ungrateful brat.

While he loved working for the Guardians, the last eighteen months had been hard for him. His celebrity charge, Justyn, had proved to be the most entitled and condescending client that he'd ever faced. So many times he had been forced to go in and clean up after the singer had shot his mouth off and had offended the wrong people. He'd been bruised and beaten in order to protect the spoiled star. Yet, despite all the injuries that he'd sustained on behalf of the kid, it had all paled in comparison to his recent behaviour.

The news that the world tour had been extended a further two weeks had left him furious. With Elsa nearing her due date, the extension had guaranteed that he would not be able to be with her when she gave birth. All the plans that he'd had for being in the room with her and curling up on the hospital bed with his wife and newborn had been tossed aside because of his client's irresponsible behaviour. Still, he couldn't lay all the blame on the singer. After all, it had been foolish of him to think that his hard-partying and spoiled client would act responsible. The lure of foreign nightlife, alcohol and illegal drugs had proven too much and his client had wasted his time between gigs partying, which had resulted in a number of cancelled concerts. As such, Justyn's management team had gone into damage control and had scheduled replacement shows for the audiences who had been unfortunate enough to have witnessed him at his worst.

As Justyn's bodyguard, he'd lacked the authority to make any suggestions to the younger male. His job had been to simply shut up and keep him safe from the risk posed by others. The one time that he'd dared suggest his client slow down on the drugs, he'd had his career threatened. Justyn's manager had swooped in and had told him that he had overstepped the boundary and that if he dared tried it again, then his contract with the star would end and his employment at Guardians would be challenged. So, he'd stepped back and had simply done what he'd been hired to do. Or at least he had until earlier in the week.

The tour had arrived back in Burgess, a city where his phone had experienced poor reception. Three days of travelling, time zone differences and connection issues had prevented him from having spoken to Elsa. Exhaustion and concern for his wife had been at the forefront of his mind. He had arrived at the Burgess Entertainment Centre to oversee Justyn's rehearsal when something inside of him had snapped.

A man had walked past while on the phone to his son. From the tone of the man's voice, it had been obvious that the child on the other end of the line was young. However, the joy on the father's face had been clear as he'd listened to his son. The private exchange had stirred something inside of him and his thoughts had turned to his wife and their unborn son. Throwing caution to the wind, he'd made his way to a public phone box and had made an expensive call.

Aster 'Bunny' Bunnymund had arrived bleary-eyed in Burgess a little under twenty-four hours later. After greeting his friend and colleague, he'd taken the 6 feet 2 inches Australian to meet with Justyn and his team. A letter of explanation from the CEO of the Guardians, Alexander Moon, had also been handed over to the star. The brief note had stated that due to reasons outside of their control, the Guardians had been forced to call Jack back to their home base in Arendelle. In order to fulfill the remainder of the six months contract that he'd had with the star, they had sent the equally capable Bunny.

The thirty minutes that Justyn and his management team had spent holed up in a small office discussing the situation had been the longest time of Jack's life. All sorts of scenarios had gone through his head. Legally speaking, his client had the right to deny the letter and to force him to carry out the remainder of his contract. However, luck had been on his side. Something about Bunny's size and no-nonsense manner had impressed the star and he'd willingly agreed to the changeover.

Not wanting to waste time, he had raced back to his hotel room and had hastily packed his belongings. Logging onto the hotel's wifi, he'd secured himself a seat on the earliest plane back to Arendelle. His return flight had not been without difficulty. Mechanical issues had caused the flight to be delayed for two hours. The scheduled three hour stopover in another city had added yet another hiccup in his journey. Then, when he'd finally arrived home, his luggage had been slow to be loaded to the conveyor belt and he'd been one of the last from his flight to leave.

Still, being delayed in Arendelle had been better than anything. Not wanting to spoil the surprise, he had walked outside and had caught a cab. On the ride home, he'd switched on his phone and had found a series of missed calls and text messages on his phone from his wife and sister-in-law, Anna.

Pain had seen Elsa being rushed to hospital with concern that she had been in labour. Despite being false labour, the ordeal had reportedly left her exhausted. Anna had left a concerned voice message where she had expressed her anger at his situation. In the emotionally-charged rant, she had told him that Elsa had been left in tears all day because of the situation. The hospital trip had cemented the realisation that she had been left to give birth without him. He'd felt his heart break at the thought of his wife having been through such an ordeal without him. Even though Anna had ended her message by ensuring him that she had temporarily moved into their guest room in order to support her sister, it had still hurt.

The ache had only deepened as he'd made his way through the rest of the messages and had seen the way his lack of response had caused Elsa to worry more. With his phone switched off, she had been unable to reach him- something which he'd promised her wouldn't happen. As a result, the messages that had followed had alternated between tearful enquiries into his whereabouts and his well being, to angered accusations. The last message had arrived less than an hour before his plane had touched down in Arendelle and she had simply wanted to remind him of the love she felt for him.

Shaking his head, he pushed the painful thought to the side. His eyes glanced over his wife's sleeping form and he realised that he'd somehow made it into his bedroom. Leaning down, he untied his shoes and pulled them off. His eyes glanced to the chest of drawers which stored his pyjamas as he contemplated getting changed. A loud yawn sounding from his lips reminded him of his exhaustion and he looked down at his track pants and sighed.

Carefully, he stepped over and pulled the covers back. Holding his breath, he watched as Elsa stirred slightly. Her platinum blonde hair had fallen over her pale face, making her look even more angelic than he remembered. Climbing onto the bed, he allowed himself to study her. The photo's that she'd sent hadn't done her justice and he realised that her small bump had grown to accommodate their baby. Pulling the blankets over them, he reached down to place his hand on her stomach and smiled. He was home with his family at last.

* * *

An intense pain ripped through Elsa's aching body and caused her to wake from her sleep. Opening her eyes, she realised that the dampness she felt could only mean one thing- her water had broken.

"Anna," she yelled, her voice cracking as another wave of pain hit her. "It's time."

Beside her, someone stirred and she blushed as she realised that she'd not been alone in the bed. Apparently, her sister had woken and had made her way into her room to curl down beside her like they used to do as children. She felt a weight being lifted off her as she realised that the occupant had been resting their hand on her baby bump, much like Jack had done before work had ripped him from her.

Jack.

Her eyes widened as she looked down at the large masculine hand that had fallen from its spot on her baby bump. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as the other person shuffled over to turn on the bedside lamp. A split second later and the light flicked on, bathing the room in a soft glow and revealing the answer to her silent prayers.

"Jack!" she gasped, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the sudden light.

Her lips curled into a smile as she found herself momentarily forgetting the situation that she was currently in. Her eyes traced over her husband, taking in the sight of his lean, muscular frame and the tousled hair that she loved. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she noticed that although he'd appeared to have lost weight, he'd not returned home with any new bruises or scars. A million questions ran through her head and she wondered if he'd been granted permission to return home, or whether he'd made a rash decision which they would have to deal with at a later date. Opening her mouth, she was about to ask him to explain when a wave of pain hit her and she was brought back to reality.

"Baby," she groaned, placing her hand on her swollen belly. "He's coming."

* * *

Settling back against the raised hospital bed, Jack pulled Elsa to rest against his chest. He heard her let out a content sigh and smiled. Gently, he traced a finger over their newborn son as he lay bundled securely in his wife's arms.

The last few hours had been a rush of emotions. Adrenaline had fuelled him and his exhaustion had been pushed aside in order to support his wife and to see their son come into the world. As expected, Elsa had handled the birth like a champion and their precious boy had officially joined their family. Any hopes for quiet reflection after the birth had been dashed when his mother and sister had swooped in, followed closely by his in-laws with flowers for Elsa and gifts for the newest Frost.

"You made it," Elsa whispered as she tilted her head to look up at him. "I can't believe you made it in time."

Grinning, he leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

A small gurgle sounded from his son. Stifling a yawn, he held out his finger for his son to hold. Catching the small boys gaze, he looked down at him. "Listen up, Lucas," he whispered. "See this woman here, your mother? She's an angel and I love her. Now that you're here, I'm going to be counting on you to help me make sure that she will always be treated like a queen."


End file.
